Pawprints
by charli911
Summary: Matt and Cutler rescue two canines who become fast members of the High Mountain Ranger family. Slight (very slight) xover with another fanfic, but not enough of one to call it a true crossover. Matt/OFC
1. Chapter 1

**_PAWPRINTS_**

**_By Charli911 and Larabee lady_**

AN: This is a stand-alone story, not related to any of the other stories in my collection. Enjoy

AN: although slight mention is made of the events of the pilot of Jesse Hawkes, everyone survived the explosion in my stories, just FYI. I like Cutler too much not to keep him around. Hart-I can take or leave. Just never really got into his character.

AN: kudos to all who can name the other TV show that I pay homage to in this story.

Disclaimer: The original characters and storyline of HMR are the property of A Shane Co with Sibling Rivalries and are used here only for the purpose of entertainment. I make no money and hope that the creators and actors take this as a genuine appreciation for their work and effort.

**_/_**

**__** **__** **_CHAPTER ONE _**

Matt Hawkes pulled back on the reins of his horse as he crested the hill, his friend, Jim Cutler, pulling up beside him. Matt took a deep breath, smiling at the sweet smell of pine from the surrounding trees.

"I never get tired of seeing this," Matt said, as he leaned forward against the pommel of his saddle, relaxing as they both took in the view of the wide lush green valley below them. Matt took another deep breath, the crisp clean air clearing the cobwebs from his brain.

Matt and Jim were heading back to the Ranger Station after a five-day inspection of remote cabins used by hikers, campers and Forest Rangers while in the high country of Desolation Wilderness. Generally, the Forest Service did the inspections, but Matt had let them know that he was heading up there anyway to speak to one of the year round residents about some possible poachers in the area and could do the inspections for them, thus saving them the time and aggravation. They had been more than happy to let him.

The two men were now heading back down the mountain, planning to stop by and visit Matt's father and brother along the way.

Jesse and Cody Hawkes lived year round on the mountain in the same cabin that Jesse had built when he'd first arrived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains thirty years before. Matt hadn't been able to see them in a couple of weeks, due to his responsibilities as Commander of the High Mountain Rangers, a Federal Law Enforcement and Search & Rescue unit that was founded by his father Jesse, who had been the Ranger's first Commander.

Summer was winding down and the air in the high country was crisp and cold. Matt pulled his jacket closer as the wind whipped up from the valley.

"Let's go. If we hurry we can make it to my Dad's by supper."

"We gonna spend the night?" Cutler asked.

"That's the plan," Matt said, as he wheeled his horse around and started along the rim of the valley for a short while before jogging further into the woods, Cutler right behind him.

Two hours later, they reined in near the small corral behind the cabin. As Matt dismounted, he heard a yell behind him.

"Matt!" He turned just in time to be tackled by his fifteen-year-old brother.

"Hey, Toad!" Matt replied, wrapping his arms around the younger boy and lifting him off his feet.

"How long can you stay? Can we go fishing? Wait until you see the pictures I took up at Aaron's. Hi, Cutler. You're just in time for dinner. Dad and I caught some great trout this morning. He'll be happy to see you. I'll get your horses, you go on inside."

Thirty seconds later, Matt and Jim were standing alone while Cody led both horses away.

Matt turned and lightly tapped Cutler on the bottom of the chin. "Close your mouth, Jimmy, you'll attract flies," he said, before heading to the rear door of the cabin.

Cutler blinked, still watching Cody lead the horses into the corral. "Matt..." He turned to find his Commander walking away and ran to catch up. "Matt, who the hell was that? Has your father been feeding him too much caffeine or something? He's never that hyper."

"That's Cody enjoying a visit from his big brother," another voice answered from the top of the steps.

"Hey, Dad."

"Mathew," a smiling Jesse nodded, returning the hug his eldest gave him. "Jimmy. I assume you're both staying for dinner and for the night."

"You assume right," Matt replied. "Cody says we're in for a treat."

"Lake trout and wild greens. You and Cutler can clean the fish."

"You got it. C'mon, Jimmy, let's go earn our keep." He slapped the back of his hand against Cutler's stomach and jogged through the back door of the cabin. It took a long moment for Jim to catch on and follow his friend inside, Jesse behind them, content at the thought of having both of his sons at the dinner table tonight.

/

"I'll come back up next weekend and we'll head up into the hills for a couple days," Matt was telling his little brother the next morning.

"Promise?"

"I promise," Matt assured him. "I already have the days off, so barring some extreme emergency like another earthquake I should be able to still get away."

"I can't wait. We don't see you enough, Matt," he whined.

"Horses travel both directions, Toad. There's no reason you can't come down off this mountain once in a while," he teased.

"I know. It's getting Dad to come with me that's the problem," Cody replied with a smile.

"Don't blame it on me," Jesse remarked, wrapping an arm around Cody from behind. "There is no reason you can't ride down and spend some time with your brother on your own."

"Really?"

Jesse smiled, winking at Matt. "I think you're old enough."

The grin that spread across Cody's face would have lit up a room. "Cool! Maybe I can come down to you next weekend instead of you coming up here!"

"I'm okay with that," Matt said, excited about the idea.

"Can we get pizza?"

"I don't see why not." Matt pulled his brother out of his Dad's grasp and hugged him close. "I can't wait." Looking behind Cody, he added, "You're welcome to join us, Dad."

"I promised Aaron I'd come by."

"I'd say, give him a hug for me, but he'd probably shoot you!" Matt remarked, knowing that he was not one of Aaron Bass' favorite people.

"Son..."

Matt held up a hand as he released his grip on Cody. "Just kidding, Dad. Have fun."

"See you, Son. Jimmy, you know you're always welcome here."

"Thanks, Mr. Hawkes. See you next weekend, Cody."

"Bye," the youngest Hawkes called out, as he waved the two men on their way.

/

Matt and Jim moved their horses slowly through the woods, taking their time returning to the Ranger Station. They had decided to take a ride over the Horner Ridge area on their way back down the mountain. There were several cabins along the way that they hadn't checked in quite a while. Hikers and drifters would often break into the cabins looking for food or something to steal or a place to stay for a night or two.

Coming down on the east side of the ridge, they approached a small one-story cabin that had seen better days. Coming from above the cabin, they noticed a small hole in the roof that hadn't been there the last time they'd checked it. Matt knew the family lived in Sacramento and the father had died a few months previously. He wondered if the wife planned to sell. He would have to dig out her information when he got back and make sure she was advised of the roof damage.

He and Cutler dismounted in front of the residence, both stretching after the long ride. As Matt moved toward the front door, he froze and cocked his head.

"Matt?"

"Shhh," he said, quieting Jim. The two Rangers stood still for several seconds before Jim, too, heard the soft whimpering noises that had alerted his boss. Cutler pulled his rifle from the scabbard on his saddle and moved to stand beside Matt next to the front door. They could hear scraping now, which sounded like an animal trying to claw at the door from the inside.

Matt sidestepped to the window and caught a brief glimpse of what appeared to be a large dog moving around. They would still take precautions, as wolves were known to inhabit the wilderness. Even if it was a dog, there was the possibility it was rabid or wild, so they would treat it as dangerous until they knew otherwise.

Matt moved back to the door, standing to the side, and reaching for the doorknob. Cutler crouched down on the step and raised the rifle, aiming it at the door. He nodded to Matt to let him know he was ready. The big blond slowly turned the knob and gave the door a gentle push.

The whimpering and scratching had stopped, so both men were leery of whatever creature was inside suddenly making a dash to freedom. Once the door was open several inches and no movement seen or heard inside, Matt slowly leaned around the door jam and took a peek inside.

He could see brown fur lying about three feet from the door, and the animal didn't appear to be coming close to the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he gestured for Cutler to move closer. Jimmy did, keeping the rifle poised to shoot if needed. Matt pushed the door completely open and Cutler moved into the cabin, the gun tracking to point at a large, but apparently malnourished, dog lying on the floor nearby.

When the dog made no effort to get up, he raised the rifle toward the ceiling and nodded at Matt to continue into the room. Jim kept a close eye on the animal as Matt moved closer, finally kneeling down next to the animal he could now tell was an emaciated German shepherd. He reached out a hand and tentatively settled it on the dog's head.

When the animal didn't react, he ran his hand along the dog's neck and side. "Jimmy, go get my canteen," he said quietly.

Cutler spun around and hurried back out the door. He slid his rifle back into the scabbard, then grabbed Matt's canteen from where it hung from his saddle horn, took a couple of steps back toward the cabin, before turning and reaching into his own saddle bag and removing a small metal bowl from his mess kit.

Matt was still petting the dog and talking quietly to it. Jim poured a small amount of water into the bowl and handed it to Matt, who placed it down next to the dog. They watched as the animal quickly lapped up the small amount of water and watched as Cutler filled the bowl again, only to see it disappear just as quickly.

"What about food, Matt?"

"I'm not sure that would be such a good idea at the moment. Everything we have is solid. I don't think she'd be able to handle it."

"She injured?"

"Don't see any injuries, except for the tears on her paws, probably from trying to claw her way out of the cabin. We need to get her to the Vet. Check around, make sure she's the only one?"

Cutler nodded and trotted off the follow his Commander's orders. The cabin was small enough that he was back in just a couple minutes, as there was no furniture for any animal to hide under and only one closet in the place.

"She's alone, Matt."

Matt shook his head. "The owners of this cabin better have a good excuse for this," he said, his quiet anger apparent to the man with him, who had known man for over a decade. "We're gonna need to carry her down."

Cutler handed the canteen and bowl to his boss. "Get those put away, I'll get her up and lift her up to you."

Matt nodded and walked outside, putting the gear away and mounting his horse. Jimmy walked out, carrying the dog, and carefully lifted her up to the blond. Matt cradled the animal against his chest, accepted his reins from Cutler, and turned the horse to the trail. Normally, the ride from this cabin back to the Ranger station took about an hour. It would likely take a bit longer with their precious cargo in hand.

/

Matt closed his eyes and leaned back in the hard plastic chair, his head lightly hitting the wall behind him. He and Jim were waiting to speak to the vet, who was examining the dog. He hadn't planned to stay, but just couldn't bring himself to leave until he knew how the dog was. He knew Cutler was amused by the fact that his big, tough boss didn't want to just leave the dog there.

They'd been waiting nearly an hour when a small nudge woke him from a light doze. He opened his eyes to see a large cup dangling in front of his face. The strong aroma told him the cup contained coffee from his favorite coffee shop in town.

"Thanks," he told Cutler, who just nodded and sat down next to him, sipping on his own cup.

"Anything yet?"

"No. The Doc is taking x-rays," he said, taking a sip of the strong coffee. "You don't have to wait, you know."

"Neither do you," Jimmy shrugged. "The guys know where we are and I have a radio. If they need us, they'll call."

The two men sat in silence for the next fifteen minutes, enjoying the coffee and the quiet. They looked up when the door to the back area opened up.

A young woman, about their age walked out and smiled at them. Amanda, or Mandy as she liked to be called, had known both men since high school, had in fact dated Cutler their junior year. They had all stayed good friends, including her husband, Max, who was a firefighter with the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department.

"Jake with be out in a few minutes. He's just taking a  
look at the blood work."

Jake Manning was the best veterinarian that Matt had ever met. He'd been born and raised in Tahoe, leaving only long enough to get his degree and then he'd returned to take over his father's practice when Michael Manning retired two years ago. Michael had been the vet for all the Rangers' horses since Jesse Hawkes had founded the team. Now Jake handled that job.

Amanda consulted the papers she had in her hand. "The Shepherd was chipped. We tried to contact them, but the phone listed with his chip number is disconnected. We'll send out the required letter, see if we get any response. Legally, the owners will have two weeks to contact us. After that, we assume ownership and will put her up for adoption. She'll likely be here at least that long recovering anyway."

"Is the owner local?"

"No, we don't think so. The phone number is a San Francisco area code, but of course if it's a cellphone, they could live anywhere."

"Let me know?" Matt asked.

She smiled. "Of course. Should we assume she'll have a new home, Matt?"

Matt smiled. "Yeah, maybe."

"Matt!"

"Jake, how've you been?" Matt asked, shaking hands with tall, stocky man who walked through the door. Jake had been a linebacker on their high school football team and looked every bit the part. His dark hair and complexion spoke to his Indian heritage. He was, in fact, a member of the same tribe as Frank Avila's family.

"Good, good. Amanda says you found the Shepherd abandoned in a cabin."

"Yeah. We were making the rounds of the seasonal homes, heard her whimpering."

"Any idea how long she'd been there?"

"Not more than two weeks. I was by there the first of the month. Family was outside barbecuing. I didn't see the dog with them, so I'm not sure if she belongs to the family I saw, or if someone else left her there."

"We'll see if we get a reply to our standard letter. She's gonna be here for at least a week anyway. She's dehydrated and slightly malnourished, probably hasn't eaten in several days if not longer. I didn't see any sign of heartworm. She does have a bad case of fleas."

Matt grimaced. Just the idea made him itched.

"Don't worry, Matt," Cutler chimed up. "We'll make sure the Doc sends you home with some flea shampoo."

"We'll take care of that while she's here," Jake assured them.

"I wasn't talking about the dog," Jimmy muttered, receiving a slap on the arm from his long-time friend, both of them grinning.

Jake shook his head, used to the antics from the Rangers. Theirs was a tough job and they took their humor where they could find it. "I'll call you once I have a better idea of her condition. She ate a little of what we gave her, but I don't want to over-feed her and make her sick."

"Thanks, Jake. Let me know if you hear back from the owner. We may pursue animal neglect charges if they left her there on purpose."

"Will do. I'll get a statement typed up and ready just in case." He waved as he turned back to his office. "See you boys later."

Both Rangers said their good-byes and headed to the station. They were discussing the Shepherd as they walked inside.

"...gonna do if they don't find the owners?"

"I don't know," Matt replied as he hung up the keys. "Guess we'll have to wait and see."

Overhearing the conversation, Avila put in his two cents about the dog the others had only gotten a quick glimpse of as Matt and Jim rode up and transferred the animal from Matt's horse to his truck for the quick ride to the Animal Hospital.

"We could make her our mascot," Izzy suggested, half-jokingly.

"You won't get any argument from me. As long as you all are willing to help with feeding and taking care of her, she can be the station dog." Matt knew what would likely happen when they brought the dog back and figured having the canine around would be fine, as long as she didn't chew up the place.

The others all smiled. It was a great idea. A dog would make a great mascot for the High Mountain Rangers.

"I wonder if she has any training," Frank pondered.

"We can figure that out later. Right now, she needs rest and food. She's slightly malnourished."

"Where did you find her?" Frank asked the question they had wanted to ask before, but held back since Matt had been in a hurry to get the animal to the vet.

Matt settled onto the sofa, the others grabbing seats where they could to listen to the story. "You know that little cabin at the bottom of Horner Ridge, about five miles from my dad's place?" Frank nodded. "We were checking the seasonal homes out that way and when we approached that cabin, we hear some whimpering and scratching."

"Somebody abandoned her?!" Avila asked, outraged. He was an animal lover, having grown up with all kinds of animals on his grandfather's property.

"Appears that way," Matt said, rubbing his hands through his hair.

"What's going to happen to her?" Izzy asked.

Matt's looked turned angry. "First thing I want to do is see if we can figure out who left her there! Izzy, that cabin belonged to a family from Sacramento, last I knew. Name of ...Fellows...I think, or Bellows. Check and see what we have on them, then call the Vet, see if it matches the info they got from her chip." Izzy nodded and walked over to the desk, where he pulled out the large binder that held that information. "After that, we'll see. I can't have dogs at my place..." his voice trailed off. The others exchanged grins. They knew that their Commander was already attached to the injured animal and would likely find some way to adopt the dog.

Frank, taking the bull by the horns, stood up and walked to the desk. He spun the old Rolodex until he found the card he wanted. Slipping it of the track, he marched over to his friend.

"Call him. He'll start looking for you."

Confused, Matt looked at the card. "Your cousin?"

Frank nodded. "My cousin...the real estate agent," he emphasized. "You need a house, with a yard and a fence."

"Frank..."

"Matt, you spend more nights here than you do at your apartment because of noisy neighbors. You know that you've been talking about using your portion of the money from the sale of Jackie's house to buy a place of your own. Why not start looking, give that dog a proper home."

When he seemed a bit undecided, Hart spoke up. "Couldn't hurt to call, Matt."

"Yeah, Matt," Izzy added, as he flipped through the binder. "Get a big house, with a huge backyard, somewhere we can have barbecues! We could party every weekend!"

"Izzy, are you trying to convince him **_not_** to do this?" Robin asked, laughing.

"Well, Matt," Frank pressed, nudging with a foot and gesturing toward the card Matt still held in his hand.

"I don't even know if the dog is gonna be okay, Frank."

"Doesn't matter. You still wanted to get a place of your own, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

"No time like the present. Call Mike, have him get started looking at what's available. Then go talk to your Dad. See what he thinks."

"It would give your Dad and Cody someplace to stay when they come to town," Hart suggested.

"Yeah, Matt," Frank added. "They might stay longer if they didn't have to put up with the chaos of this place every time they come to town."

A thoughtful look came over Matt's face as he considered that. Before his Mom died, whenever his Dad and Cody ventured down to Tahoe, they stayed at her place. Matt's apartment was too small to fit all three comfortably. And Frank was right, it sometimes got very crazy at the Ranger Station. He looked down at the card again, then raised his eyes to meet Frank's.

Then he stood up and walked to the desk, determination warring with indecision. Behind him, Hart and Avila shared a quiet high-five. After a short conversation, he hung up, a smile on his face.

/

Two weeks later, Matt entered the Vet's office, Cutler right behind him. The Shepherd was slowly on the mend and Matt was taking her back to the Ranger Station to convalesce. It wasn't the ideal situation, but they planned to set up a quiet spot for her in Matt's office.

Avila's cousin, Mike Nighthawk, was looking for a house with some property for Matt, but hadn't found anything yet that Matt wanted to call home.

Matt was shown to Jake's office, waiting only a minute before the vet joined him.

"Morning, Matt," he said as the two men shook hands

"Jake. How's she doing?"

"Better than I would have thought. She's already put on four pounds and she's starting to move around a bit more. I'll want to see her on Friday for a follow-up and we'll see how she's doing, maybe get her started on hard food."

"Alright."

"We've been calling her Lady, but of course you can call her whatever you like."

"Lady is good for now. We can change it later if I find something that suits her better."

"Like that horse of yours?" Jake asked. "I still think you should have just named that animal Stubborn."

Matt glared, but Jake could see the slight twinkle in his eye. "Now don't you be maligning Shadow."

"Shadow," Jake replied with a shake of his head. "You do realize your horse is white, don't you?"

"He's a contrary animal," Matt offered in explanation.

"He's stubborn!"

"Not with me," Matt replied, smugly.

Jake laughed. "You got me there. So, you wanna go see the lady?" He stood up and led Matt back to the kennels, opening up one of the large cages. The Shepherd sat up and greeted the big blond. Matt reached in and scratched behind her ear, allowing her to remember his scent. Matt had made a point of stopping by every other day or so to see how she was doing, to the amusement of both Jake and Mandy.

"You ready to get out of here, girl?" he asked softly, allowing Lady to lick his hand.

"Why don't you go see Amanda, get all the paperwork settled. I'll get her medications sorted out and get her ready to travel," Jake suggested.

Matt nodded. "I'll be right back, girl," he promised.

After settling up the bill and getting all the discharge paperwork and medications, Matt and Jake got Lady settled in the back of the Blazer. Matt looked around, searching for Cutler. When he didn't see him outside, he walked back into the office.

"Amanda, you seen Jimmy?"

She just grinned and crooked her finger. He followed her down the hall. She pushed open the doors to the kennels and headed toward the back of the room. Matt shook his head at finding his friend and fellow Ranger on the floor, a ball of white and gray fur crawling all over him, not hindered in the least by the large bandage on his rear leg. It was a beautiful Husky puppy, about three months old.

"I just can't take him anywhere. He's always finding strays," Matt remarked.

"Yeah, like you have room to talk, Matthew," Jimmy said. "I seemed to recall a German Shepherd that's going home with you."

"He's got you there, Matt," Amanda chuckled.

Matt had no response to that. "So, we gonna have another furball at the station, Jimmy?"

Cutler grinned. "Isn't he cute?"

"I think you're gonna have another adoption on your hands soon, Amanda," Matt told her. "I think Jimmy is smitten."

She just laughed. "That little one won't be ready to go for another few days. He's the last of a litter that one of our foster dogs had a few months ago. The others have already been adopted, but Jake doesn't want to release this one until his leg is healed."

"You don't have someone adopting this one, do you?" Jimmy asked, his face already showing his disappointment.

"No, not yet."

"I want him." Amanda was reminded of a little kid seeing the grin splash across Cutler's face.

"Where are you gonna keep him, Jim? You live in an apartment," Matt reminded him.

"Yeah, but _my_ apartment takes pets," he gloated, knowing that Matt's place did not.

Matt nodded. "And there's probably a weight limit."

"Yeah, twenty-five pounds. He can't weigh more than ten."

"For now! What about once he's fully grown?"

"It'll give me time to find a new place, somewhere where he can run around," Cutler said with a shrug.

Matt shook his head at his friend's reasoning. "Let's go, we have work to do. See you, Amanda."

"Bye, Matt," she said, accepting the puppy back from Cutler. "Should I get the paperwork started on this one for you, Jimmy?"

"Yeah, let me know when I can pick him up. I'll get all the paperwork done with my landlord in the meantime." He reached down to scratch behind the dog's ear. "See you, little one."

He trotted off behind his Commander, waving at the Vet tech and the dog as he left.

Once back at the station, Cutler helped Matt get the Shepherd settled into his office. The two men watched for a short time from the doorway, before Matt pulled the door closed behind him, leaving it slightly ajar to allow the dog to leave the room if needed.

"So, when are your Dad and Cody coming down?" Jimmy asked. Although the original plan had been for Cody to ride down on his own to spend time with his brother, the discovery of the injured dog and Matt's decision to purchase a house, had Jesse joining his youngest son at Matt's request. He'd asked for Jesse's assistance in deciding on his first major purchase.

Matt looked at his watch. "They should be here anytime," he said, as he heard the noises of the arrival of horses outside. Glancing out the window, he smiled. "Speak of the devil."

"Which one, Cody or your dad?" Cutler asked, chuckling.

"Neither, both?" Matt replied with a smile.

Jesse and Cody pushed through the doorway, Cody's dog, Dingy, following in their wake.

"Matt!" Cody called out and rushed over to greet his brother, relishing the big-brother hug he always got from him. Dingy barked in excitement, which drew the Shepherd from the office. When Dingy saw the other dog, he approached, tail wagging, always happy to make new friends. The Shepherd moved closer to Matt, who reached down a hand to pet her.

"It's okay, girl. This is Dingy. He's a part of the family." After a minute of the dogs checking each other out, the Shepherd barked once, then turned back to Matt's office, returning to her bed.

Dingy followed her, as did Matt, Jimmy, Cody and Jesse.

"So, how's she doing?" Jesse asked Matt, as Cody sat down beside both dogs. Dingy was sniffing at the Shepherd again and the Shepherd was allowing it without growling. Matt had explained everything that had happened when he'd asked his father and brother to come to Tahoe and give him a hand.

"She's walking, with some difficulty, and she tires easily. Jake gave me some medications for pain and antibiotics and put her on a strict food schedule, which is one of the reasons she's here, so whoever is working the radio can keep her on schedule."

"That and the fact that you can't have her in your apartment," Jesse teased.

Matt smiled in return. "Yeah, that too."

"When are we supposed to meet Mike?"

"At two this afternoon."

"Can you get away in the meantime? I think I might have found a good solution for your problem."

Matt glanced at his watch. It was just past ten o'clock. "Yeah, we've got time. What's up?"

"Remember Fred Saunders?"

"Yeah. Nice guy. He owns about thirty acres that abut the back of the station property. We check in on him once in a while when we pass through his land."

"He's moving off the mountain," Jesse told him.

"You're kidding me! Old man Saunders is leaving his mountain? I never thought I'd see the day. Next you'll tell me Aaron Bass decided to move to a big city!"

"Now, _that_ will never happen," Jesse said with a smile. "Seems that Fred's daughter is having her first child, twins actually, and she wants her dad to be nearby so the kids can get to know him. She and her husband renovated their home in Monterey, added a whole wing just for Fred. Plus, he's having such a hard time with the arthritis, he can't even use his second floor anymore, and had been thinking about moving into one of the single-story cabins on his property."

"I hope he finds a buyer that's not gonna build something commercial back there. We cut through his property on a regular basis as a shortcut to some of the passes further west."

"Cody and I stopped by to see him this morning. When we told him why we were heading into town, that's when he mentioned he was moving. He has a proposition for you."

Matt was silent for several seconds, then thoughtfully nodded his head. "You think he might be willing to sell me that small cabin on the ridge and an acre or so of land around it?"

Jesse smiled. He knew that Matt would be pleasantly surprised by the proposition that Fred Saunders wanted to speak to him about. "You never know. Go saddle your horse, boy. Let's go talk to Fred."

Matt relented and headed outside, while Jesse spoke to Cody, letting him know where he was going. Cody decided to stay at the station and play with the dogs. He knew what Saunders had in mind and hoped his brother would take him up on the deal.

/

Thirty minutes later, Matt and Jesse were dismounting in front of a mid-size, two story log house that sat in a small clearing surrounded by tall pines, fir trees and a smattering of manzanita, with three large, craggy boulders sprouting from the ground to the left of the house. A small creek ran behind the house, and Saunders had built a small footbridge that he used to cross over the creek in order to get to the two small cabins that sat on the other side of the small woods behind the house, one in a small clearing, one perched on a small cliff overlooking the creek.

The cabins couldn't be seen from the main house, and were separated from each other, which gave privacy to any guests that used the cabins. Saunders rented out the cabins sporadically, mostly only to people recommended by friends or family. It was a beautiful piece of property, with a fantastic view of Lake Tahoe. And Saunders had selectively cleared several trees so that the lake could be seen from each building.

As father and son walked toward the house, Fred Saunders emerged, cup of coffee in hand. He was a tall, stocky man, with a full head of gray hair. And though he was past sixty, he still looked like he could take on men half his age... and win with ease. The only sign of his age, aside from the gray hair, was a barely-there limp. He dressed simply, in a blue and black flannel shirt, over a white t-shirt and blue jeans, a pair of worn cowboy boots on his feet. As a child, Matt often pictured him with a pair of six-shooters on his hip and a tin star pinned to his shirt.

In fact, the man was a retired Deputy Sheriff and had, at one time, been recruited by Jesse to become a part of the High Mountain Rangers, but always refused, saying he was content with the life he was living. His wife had died about four years earlier, the victim of a vehicle accident coming home from visiting her sister in Placerville. Matt and Cutler had been the ones to climb down the embankment to retrieve her body.

"Jesse, Matt," he greeted them simply.

"Hello, Mr. Saunders," Matt replied as he tied is horse to the old style hitching post in front of the house. The men shook hands and Fred led the way back into his house, setting two extra cups and the coffee pot down on the table, gesturing for his guests to help themselves, while he grabbed the sugar and cream.

Once everyone had a full cup, he turned to Matt, never one for small talk.

"So, Matt, your dad tells me you're in the market to buy your first house."

"Yes, sir."

"Did he tell you that I'm gonna be moving from the area?"

"He did and I've gotta tell you, that surprised me. I never thought they'd pry you off this mountain," he said with a smile, one that was returned in full force by Saunders.

"I never thought it would happen either," he agreed. "But, these hills are getting a bit much on these old bones, can't even make it up the stairs to the second floor anymore without pain, much less keep going back and forth to the cabins. And my daughter and son-in-law have been begging me to move in with them."

"Dad says they added a wing to their house just for you."

Saunders' smile got bigger. "Can you beat that? We had discussed me getting a small apartment nearby, somewhere I could stay when I come to visit and during the winter months when the snow got too deep up here. But when Adam told me what he and Sarah had done, well I gotta tell you, I was floored. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, and that man she married is definitely a keeper, but I never thought they'd go that far to make me feel so welcome."

"It's a special thing, for sure," Jesse opined.

"Yeah. She did good with that one, my little girl did. And now, she tells me she's pregnant, gonna have twins. I'm gonna be a grandpa!"

"Congratulations," Matt told him.

"Thank you. That's where you come in, Matt."

"Dad says you plan to sell. I was hoping I could make a deal with you for one of those cabins," Matt suggested.

"I do have a proposition for you. You know that I'm retired, with a fairly good pension from the Sheriff's Department. Plus I still have most of the inheritance I received when my folks died several years ago. And my Doris' life insurance has never even been touched. This property and everything on it have been paid off for years, so I have no mortgage. I'm not hurtin' for money, Matt. I'm not looking to make a big profit or sell to the highest bidder. I want someone on this land that will treat it like I have all these years."

"You think you'll be able to find someone that won't turn it into a hotel or condos?" Matt asked.

"Actually, I think I already have."

Matt's hopes dashed, he forced a smile onto his face. "Well, I hope we can meet them, see if they will continue to allow us access across the property."

"Oh, I don't think will be a problem. Matt, I want you to buy this property."

"Me?! Mr. Saunders, I can't afford this place. This is prime Tahoe real estate..."

"And like I said, I'm not interested in making a huge profit. I want someone on this land who will respect it and treat it right."

"Still, it's worth way more than I can afford. Maybe, one of the cabins, but..."

"Son, it's worth what I want to get for it. Now, let see what we can work out."

/

Matt was incredulous, his reaction obvious by his jaw dropping nearly to the floor. Jesse leaned over and gently pressed a finger against his chin to close his mouth, a smirk taking up residence on the older Hawkes' face.

"That...that's...I mean...you..."

"My son generally is more articulate than this, Fred."

"Dad! That's a huge piece of land to just give away," he said, defensively.

Saunders chuckled. "Matt, I know that you and your Rangers will treat this land the way it deserves to be treated. If I deed that small portion of my property to the Rangers, it will allow you to expand later. Your Dad was saying that you have been wanting to get some more property and make some improvements to the buildings you already have, but couldn't afford to do both. This way, you won't have to buy the property and can use the money you have to complete the improvements that you want to do."

Matt smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Saunders, that has got to be the most generous donation that has ever been given to the Rangers. I would tell you that we can't accept it, but my father didn't raise any fools, and has always told Cody and me to never look a gift horse in the mouth. So, on the behalf of my Rangers, I accept that offer." He put out his hand and the two men shook on the deal.

"Wonderful. I know that you and your Rangers will do good things with that parcel of land, Matt. I've always felt comfortable having you all as neighbors. You and your crew have always treated this mountain with the respect that it deserves."

"My old man taught me that too, sir," Matt replied, giving a look of gratitude his father's way. Jesse returned the compliment with a wink and took a sip of his coffee, knowing there was more to come.

"Now, about the rest of the land. This old house is well built and solid. I've done the yearly maintenance religiously, as you well know, since you and your Rangers have helped me in the past."

Jesse raised an eyebrow. This was news to him.

"Don't be so surprised, Jess. You did raise this boy right. He and his Rangers stop by here at least once a month, usually more often, to make sure I'm okay. That Izzy fella has stopped by with groceries, and that pretty gal, Robin, has come by to check on my health. Not that I need it, but I always let her check my blood pressure and such. Never could say no to a pretty woman."

The two Hawkes men laughed at that statement. Matt had made a habit of stopping in to check on Saunders any time he passed by, alone or with one or more of his Rangers, as they often used his property, with his complete knowledge and permission, as a short-cut to and from Cutter's Pass. Cutler had been the one to inform Saunders when he'd noticed some damage to the roof of one of the cabins and the next day he, Izzy and Frank had driven up with the supplies and the tools to do the repairs. The four men had completed the work in less than two hours, after which Saunders made the three Rangers lunch before they left.

"Anyway, Matt, like your Dad told you, I am moving to Monterey. I want to be there when my grandkids are born and be around to watch them grow up, and be a part of their lives. I also want to spend more time with my daughter and her husband. I can't do that from here, since it's so difficult for them to visit. This place isn't exactly handicapped accessible for Adam."

At Matt's look of confusion, Fred continued. "Sorry, I thought you knew. He's in a wheelchair. He was injured in a training accident while he was in the National Guard, oh, nine months ago now. Injured his back. He's not paralyzed, but it's difficult for him to get around without the chair. So they don't come up here anymore. I've been talking to some folks about putting a road in and putting in some ramps and such, but now that I'll be moving, it won't be necessary."

Matt and Jesse could both see that it hurt Fred to think of leaving this place for good, but that he knew it was the best decision for him. Fred got temporarily lost in his memories, then shook his head and glanced at his guests.

"My father bought this land when he married my ma. I had hoped to one day leave it for Sarah, but that just isn't possible now, with Adam unable to come here with her. So, I've been procrastinating on calling a realtor, because I can't sell this place to just anybody who has the money to buy it. Matt, I know if I wanted to just sell the land, I could get a pretty penny for it. But I don't need the money. Neither does Sarah. Her mom was from a wealthy family and when she died, she left a large inheritance to our daughter."

He glanced around at the log house they sat in. "I grew up in one of the small cabins on the other side of the creek, built this house when Elizabeth agreed to marry me. Sarah grew up in this house. I want to be sure that whoever lives here after me appreciates the history of the house and takes care of it. Now, your dad told me that you've been looking for a house and about how much you have to spend. And I'm prepared to sell you this house, the two cabins and all the property, except for the acres I'm donating to the Rangers, for the exact amount you have, minus the ten percent for your agent and closing costs."

Matt looked between his father and Fred Saunders, stunned at the offer. He stood up and walked over to the large picture window that overlooked the lake. He could see the roof of the Ranger station peeking between the trees further downslope from the log house. Saunders offer was more than generous, way more...it was a steal.

"What about Sarah? And your grandchildren?" Matt asked quietly. "This is their birthright."

Saunders smiled at Jesse, pleased that Matt thought of that and not just of the opportunity this gave him. It proved to Fred that he was making the right decision.

"I spoke with Sarah this morning after your father left. She thinks this is a wonderful opportunity for you and she is thrilled with the idea that I'll be moving off the mountain and into town with her and her family. She's happy it's going to someone who was born and raised here. She...well, since her mother died, she's been reluctant to come back up here. I think she blames the mountain for taking her mom from her."

Jesse nodded. He knew that Sarah had only been back to visit her father a handful of times since her mom's death and had wondered if the accident was the reason for that. He thought it was a bit unreasonable, but grief does strange things to people, sometimes.

"I do have one condition, Matt." The blond turned around to face this man who seemed to be handing him his own piece of paradise. "I would like to reserve the right to come back anytime and spend some time in my old home, the smaller of the two cabins, the one I grew up in. As much as I look forward to living with and spending time with my only daughter and her family, I don't think that I could give up this mountain completely. And you could make a good amount renting out those cabins to tourists. Or take in a tenant to live in the larger of the cabins and leave the other one for tourists and for me when I visit."

That thought sparked the beginning of an idea for Matt. He came back over to sit down and looked at his father. "What do you think, Dad?"

"I wouldn't have even brought you here if I didn't think this was an opportunity you can't pass up, Matt. You always told me that you wanted to eventually have a house of your own on the mountain, but wanted to be a bit closer to town then the cabin you grew up in. This is the best of both worlds. You'll have a great deal of privacy here, but still be close to the Ranger Station and to town."

Matt sat for several minutes in silence, as the two older men sat back, sipping their coffee and talking about Fred's upcoming move to Monterey. They both went silent as they noticed a huge grin slowly take form on Matt's face.

"Well?" Fred asked.

"Dad's right. This is an opportunity that I can't pass up." He put out his hand determinedly.

"Excellent!" Saunders replied, gripping the offered hand and sealing the deal. "You get hold of that real estate agent of yours and we can all meet to iron out the details. He can handle all the legal stuff on both the sale and the donation of the twenty acres. I understand he's the cousin of one of your Rangers."

"Yes, sir. Frank Avila's cousin, Mike Nighthawk."

"I've met his family. I'll be glad to give him my business."

"I'll call him once we get back to the station. We were supposed to meet at two to look at some houses today anyway."

"Well, just bring him up here instead and we'll get all the legal stuff out of the way, then I can start making plans to get started on my packing."

"On one condition," Matt said. At Fred's questioning look, he continued. "You let me help with packing and getting you moved. Anything you want to keep here on the mountain, we can get moved to the small cabin and placed wherever you want it. Anything you want to keep up here, but don't want to take the chance of getting damaged by flatlanders, you can keep in this house. I will take special care of it."

"That means a lot to me, Matt. Anything especially important, I'll be taking with me, of course. But there is one thing you need to be aware of. My Elizabeth is buried up here, on the property. I'll show you her gravesite before I leave, just so you know where it is. I'd appreciate it, if you'd keep it neat and tidy for me."

"Of course. I'll treat her as if she were my own mother."

Jesse's fought to keep the tears from falling. He knew that Matt still felt deeply the death of his mother nearly two years ago. The fact that she was buried in Arizona and he wasn't able to visit her grave was hard on his son. Being able to help keep Elizabeth Saunders' grave tended to would be a blessing.

Jesse and Matt took their leave thirty minutes later. Matt was silent for several minutes into the ride, before finally pulling back on the reins and bringing his mount to a halt. Jesse stopped beside him as Matt looked back over his shoulder.

"Do you think this is what he really wants, Dad?"

"I think it is, Matt. It will be hard for him to leave this mountain, as it would be for me in his place. But the love he has for his daughter, and for his soon-to-be-born grandkids, is enough motivation for him to leave. And I think the knowledge that he can come back anytime will help a lot."

"I just don't want him to regret this."

"Son, I've known Fred Saunders for a lot of years. I think the only reason he hasn't left already is because he didn't want to sell his land to someone who would tear everything down and put up condos or something. When I told him this morning that I was meeting up with you in order to help you decide on a house to buy, you should have seen his face. It was like he'd found the answer to a prayer. And he'd already decided before all this to donate that twenty acres to the Rangers. He'd mentioned something to me about it the last time I came through."

Matt let out a relieved sigh. It was just what he needed to hear. This looked like it would be the best thing for both of them. And the Rangers would benefit as well. Matt was getting excited about the fantastic opportunity that had just landed in his lap. He couldn't wait to get all the paperwork completed.

/

Later that afternoon, Matt had returned to town with his father, made a couple of calls, then went back out again. He was being extremely secretive and the others were making ever increasingly outrageous suggestions about what was going on.

They didn't think it was anything serious, however, since when Matt returned the second time, he had been nearly giddy. Cutler remarked that he'd probably met a new girl, to everyone's amusement.

Matt was now tucked in his office, with the door closed, working on some paperwork. He had taken the Shepherd outside for a bit when he'd returned from his mysterious errands and now the dog slept peacefully on the blankets behind his desk. Jesse and Cody had gone in to town to visit with friends and buy some supplies, leaving Dingy behind to keep the other dog company. They planned to return later for dinner with Matt and would stay the night at Matt's cramped apartment, since Matt planned to spend the night at the station to care for the dog.

They could already tell that the dog would be as protective of Matt as their Commander was of the dog. Each time someone walked into the office, they felt the dark eyes of the Shepherd on them. And she had only allowed Matt, Jim, Cody and Jesse near enough to pet her.

She still shied away from Izzy, Hart and Robin, but Frank had been allowed close enough that afternoon to feed her. Of course, Cody had been nearby, so that might have been the reason. The reaction to Robin had been interesting. Although the dog just glared at the others, she actually growled at Robin.

They all wondered when Matt would get around to naming the dog. They couldn't just keep calling it dog. Matt had mentioned that the Vet had called her Lady, but that he was waiting for her personality to show itself before he named her.

Matt emerged a few minutes later, with a manila envelope stuffed with papers. "Frank, you pass by Mike's house on your way home, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Avila said, looking up from the magazine he was reading.

"Could you drop this off for me? He needs it before morning."

"Sure, Matt," Frank replied, taking the envelope. "Does this mean you found a house?"

Matt grinned largely. "Oh, yeah, I found a house and then some!" he said, slapping Frank on the arm and returning to his office, telling everyone to head on home for the day.

Okay, Frank was intrigued now. He looked at the envelope. _Damn. Sealed. Well, just have to push Mike for details then, _he thought, grabbing his coat and heading to his truck. Whatever it was, Matt seemed very happy with it. It was good to see the man in that good a mood. He was usually so serious.

Frank realized that he really didn't care what was in the envelope. If it made his Commander this happy, he would wait until Matt decided to reveal the secret himself. Until then, he'd just relish the smiles the blond was wearing almost continuously. It looked like things were finally working out for his friend and Frank was happy for him. He deserved all the good that came his way.

/


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER 2 _**

It was chilly out that morning. It seemed that autumn was fast approaching and the weather center was predicting a long, hard winter. Well, long and hard unless you lived for snow, like most people who lived in Tahoe. Matt was the only one in the station at the moment. It was just before dawn and he'd been sleeping on the sofa, having moved the Shepherd's pallet out into the main room and wanting to stay close.

She'd been here for a week and was getting stronger every day. He wanted her to get used to people moving around and she seemed to be getting used to all the Rangers...except Robin. For some reason, she just wasn't tolerating the female Ranger right now.

He started a fire in the big fireplace, then moved the dog's pallet closer. Eventually, he'd pick up a large bed for the Shepherd, but right now she was doing okay with the blankets. He sat down on the hearth and watched her get re-settled on her blankets, laying her head on his stocking clad feet.

She seemed more comfortable with her new surroundings and loved being petted and scratched behind the ears. She was beginning to eat better and moving around easier. Matt hoped to get her outside today for a longer period of time to see how she did. He was also due to get her back into the Vet for a check-up that morning.

He slid down onto the floor and leaned against the hearth, his back to the fire. The dog moved her head to his thigh and closed her eyes, content to just sit with her human. They both relished the quiet of the pre-dawn hours when they were alone in the building. All too soon, Izzy and Jimmy would arrive, the two noisiest Rangers, and the silence would be shattered. He looked down at the Shepherd.

"We really need to give you a name, don't we girl?" He moved to lie down beside her, propping his head up on one hand, the other reaching out to continue petting her. She rolled onto her back, baring her belly to be rubbed. Matt, of course, obliged her.

"Okay, let's see. Jake and Mandy were calling you Lady. And while you are every inch the regal Lady, I think we can come up with something more fitting. You're a German shepherd, I supposed we could give you a German name. But, I think not. I would probably have to keep spelling it for people. You're sure a beauty."

He put his arm flat, laying his head down on his bicep, the two now eye-to-eye. "I could call you Linda, that's Spanish for pretty. But maybe too generic. You need something unusual."

The dog pushed her nose under his hand, demanding he pet her. He did, of course.

"Talking to yourself, Matt?"

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Avila standing in the doorway, a grin on his face.

"Nope, talking to my new favorite girl," he remarked, continuing the run his hand along the dog's fur.

"She's settling in nicely," Frank said, crouching down by the dog's head and putting out a hand, allowing her to sniff him. After a short moment, the dog turned her attention back to Matt. Frank stood, patting Matt on the shoulder. "I'll go make some coffee. Izzy's is getting better, but I think I'd just like a cup of my own this morning."

Matt chuckled as he too got up and headed toward his office. He had some research to do before he went to visit the Vet.

/

Matt assisted the dog into the back of the truck and slid behind the wheel. The back seats were still folded down, as they had been since the day they'd originally brought the Shepherd down from the mountain. A minute later, Cutler ran out of the station and climbed into the passenger seat. They drove the five miles to the Vet's office, pulling into the lot less than ten minutes later.

"Matt, how's our girl doing this morning?" Mandy asked as she came around the desk. Crouching down, she received a slobbery kiss or two before standing back up. _Hmmm, well, that proves that it's not every female that the dog had an issue with, just Robin, _Matt thought.

"She's doing great, Mandy. She's getting around a lot better now and eating well. We finished the antibiotics this morning."

"She's eating well?"

"Doing great. Two meals a day for the last four days, finished everything and didn't get sick once."

"Excellent! Well, Jake is waiting, so I'll take her on back. Why don't you wait in his office, this shouldn't take too long."

"Okay if I grab a cup of coffee?"

"Of course. I just made a fresh pot."

"Should I be jealous?" Jake Manning asked from the doorway of the exam room down the hall.

Matt slipped his arm around Mandy. "She does make a good cup of coffee," he explained. "I mean, how could I turn that down?" Both men laughed, as Mandy slapped Matt on the arm.

"Funny, that's what my husband says every morning," Mandy said smugly.

"Grab your coffee and come on back, Matt," Jake said. "I just want to get her weighed and take some blood, then we'll get the exam started."

"Be right there." Matt slipped into the employee break room and poured himself a large cup of strong black coffee, mixed in a spoonful of sugar, then joined Jake in the exam room. In the meantime, Cutler followed Amanda back to the kennel area.

The exam didn't take long and soon Matt was leading her back out front.

"You take good care of her, Matt. Did you ever decide on a name for her?" Mandy asked.

Matt smiled. "Yeah. Teagan."

"That's nice. Where did you come up with it?"

"It's Welsh, means beautiful."

"Ah, very appropriate then. You bring her back on Saturday and we'll give her the full spa treatment-bath, nail clip, the works. She'll be even more deserving of her name. My treat."

"I'll do that, thanks," Matt said, watching Mandy lean over to nuzzle Teagan.

"You stick close to Matt, sweetie. He'll take real good care of you." She looked up and smiled. "Feel free to bring her back anytime for a visit."

"I just may do that." He leaned over and gave Amanda a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for all your help."

"Hey, don't I get one of those?" Jake asked, walking out and handing Mandy the paperwork for Teagan.

"I think your wife might object," Matt said, giving Mandy a wink. "Max at least knows I'm no competition for him. I'm not so sure about Barb."

The three shared a laugh. Jake's wife, Barb, had been known to comment that her husband was so good looking, no one was immune to his charms, regardless of gender or species.

"Oh, by the way, Matt. We heard back from the family who owned that cabin. This is not their dog. She said that they had seen it wandering around up there, but since she wasn't sure if it was friendly or not, she told her kids not to play with it, and always scared it away."

"Did she saw how it looked when she saw it?" he asked.

Jake frowned. "Oh, yeah. And I quote 'the poor thing looked skinny enough to fly away on the first stiff breeze', end quote."

"And she didn't think to let someone know?" Matt asked, angry that the woman had so little regard for life.

"Claimed it wasn't her responsibility since it wasn't her dog."

"I wonder if she'd feel that way if one of her kids went wandering off and no one helped because it 'wasn't their responsibility'?"

"That's not even the worst part," Jake continued. "She told me that since we've determined that the dog isn't vicious, she wanted to put her name on the list to adopt her."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Matt exclaimed, incredulous at the woman's audacity. "No way in hell!"

Jake smiled. "That's what I told her. Said I wouldn't feel comfortable allowing her to adopt any animal, much less one she'd already proven that she had no compassion for. And she was too late, anyway, that's this beautiful girl had already been adopted. She was actually upset, saying that I had no right to adopt out the dog, since it was found in her cabin. She threatened to sue."

Knowing Jake well, Matt had to smile. "And your reply?"

"I told her that if I saw any hint of a lawsuit, that I would make sure that the judge was aware that she knew about the dog, knew of its condition and did nothing help it. And then I would suggest that she never be allowed to adopt any animal from any shelter in the state!"

"If she decides to pursue it, let me know," Matt instructed the Vet. "There's no way that dog got into that house without someone opening that door and locking her in. And since, as she stated, the house is hers, I can only assume she's the one that let it in and left it there to die."

Jake sighed. "I just wish we could prove that. I'd be pursuing some charges of my own."

"Keep me advised?" Matt requested, glancing at his watch. "I gotta go. Jake, thanks for fixing her up," he said, petting Teagan as she poked her nose under his hand.

"My pleasure, Matt. Bring her back in a month for a check-up, unless you see problems sooner. We'll do the teeth cleaning and any other routine stuff we need to do then."

"Will do," Matt said, shaking Jake's hand and the Vet went back to his other charges.

"So is Cutler in the back with his furball?" Matt asked Amanda.

"Actually, no. He went next door to pick up some stuff for the pup." Matt nodded. Jake Manning's wife, Barb, was the owner of a pet supply store, which was attached to the animal hospital.

"He's taking him home today then?"

Amanda smiled. "Yeah. Jake gave him the go-ahead this morning."

"I can't wait to see Cutler deal with housetraining that ball of fluff!"

They both laughed and continued to talk while Matt waited for Cutler. About twenty minutes later, Jim poked his head in the door. "Matt, can I have the keys? I need to load some stuff."

Matt turned around and tossed his friend the keys, then followed him out a few minutes later. As he got to his truck, his jaw dropped open. "Did you buy out the store?" he asked. The back of the truck was full of dog paraphernalia. A crate, a bed, a large bag of dry food, several cases of canned food, toys, treats...and was that..."Dog sweaters!? Jimmy!"

"What? They were cute!" he insisted as he loaded even more bags into the truck.

"We're not gonna have room for the dogs!"

/

**_One Month Later _**

"Alright everyone, let's settle down. We've got a lot to go over this morning and limited time."

Teagan barked at she sat next to her human, as if telling the others to listen to their boss. It had become a regular event, Matt giving orders and Teagan barking to re-enforce the order. The Rangers all thought it was hilarious, until Matt threatened to sic Teagan on the next one that laughed at her.

"The weather service is forecasting a severe storm next weekend, the first big one of the year. That gives us a week to finish getting ready. Robin and Hart, make sure the vehicles are all equipped with the proper chains and that the winches are working properly. Frank, you know what you need to do. Izzy can help you if you need a hand. Izzy, did you get the phone system working like you want?"

"Yeah, Matt. It's all set. Just need to flip the switch under the desk and we'll be able to hear the phone ringing if we're all outside."

"That was a good idea. Thanks for setting it up."

"My pleasure. This way I can help outside and still be able to hear the phones without having to keep a window open during the middle of winter."

"Jimmy, you and I will make sure the snowmobiles are in order." Cutler nodded his agreement.

"Good. Now, there is a bit of good news that it's my pleasure to inform everyone about. Fred Saunders is moving off the mountain."

"You're kidding! Wow, is the apocalypse starting?" Avila asked. Everyone laughed.

"Fred has been a good neighbor to us, allowing us full access to his property whenever we needed it to get up to the ridges behind his place quickly. He and I had a long conversation last month. He's been extremely grateful to the Rangers as a whole for treating him with respect and for being the great protectors of the mountain that we have always strived to be since my Dad founded the unit."

He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Frank. "That's why he's deeded twenty acres of his property to the Rangers, in order that we can expand and improve the unit."

"This is the land directly behind the station?" Avila asked, perusing the papers.

"Yes. From our boundary line all the way up to the edge of the clearing where his log house sits. And the new owner will continue to allow complete access through the rest of the property. The only area that will be off-limits is a small half-acre on the north side. It's where Fred's wife is buried and the area is fenced off anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue. We've never had to go near it so far, and I don't anticipate it ever happening since it backs up to a sheer cliff."

"Who is the new owner?" Izzy asked. "Do we know yet?"

Matt grinned. "Yeah, we know. Jimmy and I are taking the day off tomorrow, barring any last minute emergency. We're going to help Fred get his stuff moved out of the house and the two cabins. Then Cody and Dad will be helping him drive it down to Monterey."

"So, who's the new owner then?" Hart asked.

Cutler laughed and glanced at Matt, who nodded. Cutler gestured toward his Commander and said, "You're looking at him!" It took a minute for the others to comprehend, but then Frank was on his feet.

"That's awesome, Matt! But how the hell did you afford it? That's a prime piece of real estate!"

Matt chuckled. "Don't I know it. I said the same thing when Fred suggested I buy it. He literally made me a deal I couldn't refuse. He didn't want it going to someone who would develop it. He had been dreading putting it on the market for just that reason. When Dad told him I was looking for a house, he offered it to me at a great price. I would have been an idiot to say no."

"You got that right!" Izzy mumbled, but not so softly that everyone didn't hear.

"What about the cabins? Is he keeping those?" Robin asked.

"Nope, those are part of the deal. Aside from the twenty acres deeded to the Rangers and the half-acre around his wife's grave, where his grave will also be eventually, everything else is mine. I already even have a tenant to rent the cabin on the ridge."

"Who?"

Matt gestured to Cutler. "Jimmy and Zephyr will be moving into the larger cabin. Teagan and I will move into the two-story log house. The other cabin I'm gonna remodel to make it wheelchair accessible and will keep it for tourist rentals and for Fred and his family to visit when they want to come up."

"So, you and Jimmy will be neighbors?" Robin asked.

"Yep."

"And so will Zephyr and Teagan, won't you, boy?" Jimmy said, ruffling the puppy's fur, giving the dog permission to play. The Husky puppy started barking and jumping around, grabbing his tug toy and bringing it over to his human, who obliged him by dropping to the floor and grabbing the other end, starting a growling game of tug-of-war.

Cutler ordered Zephyr to release the rope-and-ball tug toy, but as he raised his arm to toss it across the room for Zephyr to fetch, Teagan snatched it from his hand and ran off.

"Hey! You little thief!" Cutler declared, chasing after the Shepherd as she ran across the room, Zephyr barking up a storm and catching up with his furball buddy, helping her lead Cutler on a merry romp around the furniture.

Matt just sat back and shook his head, a huge grin on his face. Life was sure looking up since that four-legged ball of fur came into his life. Two months ago, becoming a homeowner was just a dream. Now, he owned a house and two cabins on a beautiful piece of property with a fantastic view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

How had he gotten so lucky? He glanced around the room at his fellow Rangers. They were all watching Cutler playing with the dogs. He hated to interrupt, but they had things to do.

"Let's get to work," he ordered, just as Jimmy caught up with Teagan and started playing tug-of-war with her. At hearing Matt's voice, Teagan dropped the toy and raced to his side, looking up at him adoringly. "Come on, girl, you and Zephyr can help us with the snowmobiles."

He pushed through the door, followed by both dogs and all the Rangers, Izzy stopping to flip the switch under the desk.

/

They had spent most of the following weekend moving him and Cutler into their new homes. It had been hectic but satisfying. His father and Cody had spent the first night there with him. His mind wandered back, to the sight of Cody building up the fire and Jesse at the stove, stirring a pot of his famous stew. Cody and Dingy had spent several hours exploring the new house and surrounding woods, with Teagan tagging along, and helping Matt get everything set just the way he wanted it.

The next day the three of them, plus Cutler, had taken the opportunity to lay in a load of wood for the winter. It'd taken most of the day, but both Matt and Jim now had enough wood to last them through the winter. And that night Jim's parents had joined the men in Matt's house. Jim's mom had brought up a huge container of lasagna with two big loaves of garlic bread, and they had all feasted.

Over the next few months, Matt and Jim got settled into their new homes, in between work and rescues. Fred Saunders had called a couple of times from Monterey, to make sure everything was going okay. It was clear that he missed the mountain. Matt assured him that everything was fine and reminded him that the small cabin was his whenever he wanted it-even if he decided to move back to the mountain permanently, he would always be welcome to stay in that cabin. It was the least Matt could do for the man who helped make his dream come true.

Matt had a photo of Fred and his grandkids, both newly born, on the mantle of his home, next to photos of his own family. The almost weekly calls had become less frequent once the kids were born. Michael Frederick and Elizabeth Colleen were now just five weeks old. Michael had been named for both his grandfathers and Elizabeth after her grandmothers. It was only right that their photos had a place in this home. He'd also made a larger copy and framed it, hanging it on the wall of the small cabin, so that when Fred came up, it would be there for him.

Today was Matt's day off and he planned to spend the morning snowshoeing, with Teagan in tow. The Shepherd was fully healed now and loved romping through the snow. They'd slept in a bit later than usual, but now dressed for the mountain weather, he headed downstairs.

As he stepped into the great room, Teagan trotted down the steps behind him, he was not surprised to see Cutler on all fours, playing a game with Zephyr. Matt had given Cutler a key and they'd made plans to meet that morning, so Jim had let himself in and started a pot of coffee when he heard the shower running. Cutler and Zephyr were wrestling on the rug in front of the fireplace. The Husky was turning into a very large dog. Matt laughed as he took one of his big paws and batted at Jimmy's head.

"That's it, Zephyr, you keep him in his place," Matt joked.

The Husky looked up and barked, abandoning Cutler to come play with Teagan, who pretty much ignored the puppy, more interested in following Matt as he headed to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee and get his animal fed. Jimmy joined Matt in the kitchen and put down a bowl of food for Zephyr as well, then began to get breakfast ready for him and Matt.

They had plans to go over that morning. Jimmy had brought up the idea of getting both dogs trained in search and rescue. Once Matt had agreed, Jimmy had even managed to get a grant to pay for both dogs to be trained, easing the budget constraints. It would be handled in-house with the assistance of a member of the Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue team, who would evaluate both dogs to see if they were suitable for that demanding job. Since Zephyr was still a puppy, Teagan would be trained first.

Deputy Laura Skinner was due in that afternoon to work with Matt and Teagan. Matt had conducted searches with Laura and her dog, Locet, in the past. Skinner was a top-notch officer, who was born and raised in Sparta, Mississippi and was the niece of a Sparta PD Police Captain. He and Laura dated on occasion and were good friends. How was it Cutler put it...oh, yeah, friends with benefits. And although both were okay with the occasional overnight at each other's place, Matt hoped his father never found out. He knew that Jesse wouldn't approve, but both Matt and Laura were happy with the arrangement, each knowing that if one of them started dating seriously the other would graciously bow out, giving their blessing to the other.

Laura's canine partner was well trained and very good at his job. He was a Belgian Malinois, a bit smaller than a German shepherd, but with the same black and tan coloring that shepherds were best known for. Just the week before, Locet had located a missing toddler lost in Desolation Wilderness for over four hours.

The little boy was dirty, cold, scared and hungry when they found him, but started giggling when the dog began licking his face. Apparently he loved dogs and was content with his new canine buddy and not ready to return to the campgrounds where his anxious parents waited. It took the enticement of a ride on Matt's tall shoulders, and the assurance that Locet would be returning with them, to get the boy to agree to forego any further exploration of his surroundings. Laura even stuck around for a while afterwards so that the boy could play with Locet some more.

Matt could see the pride that Laura had in Locet and he looked forward to the day that Teagan made her first successful rescue. He and Cutler had been working with both dogs on basic obedience. And Jimmy, of course, was also teaching Zephyr tricks. He could already roll over, shake, speak on command and fetch. Cutler had even taught him how to play hide and seek, and a game he called 'jump the Swede', which had since been outlawed by Matt, where Zephyr would hide behind whatever piece of furniture was around and jump at Robin when she approached.

That particular game had nearly caused Cutler to be castrated, after the dog had attacked Robin once too often. The pretty blond had been carrying a knife in her hand at the time and proceeded to chase Cutler out the door with it. Zephyr, who thought it was all part of the game, followed close behind them causing a ruckus that had been interrupted when Matt walked in the door and was almost toppled over by a bounding puppy.

Cutler and Matt had differing styles of training. Cutler would set aside an hour a day, thirty minutes in the morning and thirty in the afternoon, and take the dog outside for training. Matt would just do it a few minutes at a time throughout the day. Both seem to work for their particular dog, and the other Rangers picked up on the training and attempted to keep it up when they could.

With their meal and conversation finished and the dishes cleaned up, Jimmy left with Zephyr since he had to work that morning. Matt walked into the mudroom, followed by Teagan who, upon seeing him grab his snowshoes, started jumping around, excited for the adventure they were about to go on.

"Yeah, you know where we're going, don't you girl?" Matt asked, patting his chest, giving permission for the dog to stand up on her hind legs, her front paws on his chest, licking his cheek. He ran his fingers through the thick fur around her neck. "What say we head outside, shall we?"

Teagan barked and raced for the door, hopping around impatiently while Matt pulled on his jacket, then picked up his snowshoes and pushed open the doors. He grabbed his ski poles that were leaning against the porch wall, strapped on the 'shoes and the pair began their trek through the woods.

Matt loved these jogs through the woods, winter or summer. He couldn't wait to do some summer hiking with Teagan next year. But the chance to wander through this winter wonderland was his idea of paradise. This time of year almost no tourists wandered anywhere off the ski slopes, so he was alone with the quiet and Teagan. The sun was shining brightly, the glare off the white snow forcing him to slip on his sunglasses. The air was crisp but invigorating and he smiled as they headed into the woods behind his new home. He was intimately familiar with the area, having hiked, snow-shoed and cross-country skied here often over the last ten years. But he was still careful, as the mountain could be unforgiving if you made any mistakes.

He carried a portable radio with him, so that he could be contacted by the Rangers if anything came up that Hart couldn't handle, although that happened less and less nowadays, as Tim got more familiar with being in charge when Matt was gone, and Matt couldn't help but be happy about that. It meant that most of his days off were truly his, and not interrupted by a call-out. He whistled as he lost sight of Teagan and she returned immediately, just as he'd been training her to do. He loved that she enjoyed frolicking in the snow, but wanted to keep her in sight as much as possible until she got more familiar with her new home area. They hadn't been this route before, so there were always new things to explore and he didn't want her to wander off too far.

The pair spent the morning traipsing through the woods. Around noon they headed to the station to meet Laura and Locet. He was just removing his snowshoes on the front porch of the Ranger station when she pulled up in her big Dodge Ram pickup. He could see Locet's tail wagging as he realized where he was. Laura waved and parked at the far end of the lot, as she had ever since Robin had run into her truck with a Ranger vehicle while rushing out to a call. Laura decided after that accident that she would always park as far away from the Ranger vehicles as she possibly could.

Matt and Teagan walked over to meet her, stopping several yards away. Teagan sat down next to him and he pulled her leash from his pocket and connected it to her collar, since the two dogs had never met before. Laura nodded her agreement, glad to see Matt was thinking ahead, but not really surprised by it. He wouldn't be the Commander of a federal law enforcement unit if he didn't have brains. It was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place. That and his blond hair, green eyes, gorgeous body, and so on, and so on.

Laura climbed down from her truck, opened the back door and leashed up Locet before allowing him to jump down. When Teagan began to move toward the other dog, Matt called out a quiet "stay", and she settled back onto her butt, but he could feel the excitement running through her. He placed a hand gently on her head, calming her.

Laura smiled. This was exactly what she hoped to see. As she got closer with Locet, she could tell that Teagan wanted nothing more than to come over to say hello, but Matt's hand and look kept her in place. She called out a soft "okay". Matt called Teagan to heel and walked toward the other pair. Laura had stopped, Locet sitting calmly beside her, as he had been long-trained to do.

As they walked closer, Teagan began to pull on the leash a bit. Matt stopped and again called "heel", pulling lightly on the leash. Teagan whimpered softly, anxious to meet this new dog, but Matt called "heel" again, a bit louder and repeating the light jerk on the leash, until Teagan moved back to his side. "Sit," he commanded and she dropped down, her head moving back and forth between Matt and the new people.

"Platz!" he called, putting his hand out flat, palm down. She dropped to a full down position, watching him now. "Stay."

"Good job," Laura said. "She pulled a bit, but not too bad and responded fairly quickly to correction."

Matt smiled. "I've been working with her on simple obedience. I didn't want to do much else until you came by."

"Good. Let's have them greet. I'll approach with Locet. Bring her to a sit position."

Matt did and Teagan rose up, watching closely as Laura and Locet moved closer, her muscles twitching as Matt called out "stay," but kept a tight hold on her leash so that she couldn't move forward.

Laura brought Locet close enough for the two dogs to touch and called out "greet". Locet barked and took a stepped forward. Matt told Teagan "okay" and loosened his hold on the leash so that she could move forward to say hello.

The dogs sniffed each other and started jumping around in play. Since it seemed like they were getting along fine, Laura suggested they removed the leashes. Once both dogs were free, they playfully began to chase each other around the yard, watched carefully by the Ranger and Deputy.

"She's beautiful, Matt. You say she's a stray?"

"Yeah. Jimmy and I found her up near Horner's Ridge. She'd been abandoned and was half-starved."

"Looks like she's completely healed."

"Yeah, she's doing good. Jake did a good job with her."

"So, you want to put me out of business, hey?" she teased, knowing that with two Ranger dogs trained it would actually make her life easier and less hectic. Often, when the Rangers called for an assist, she was miles away and not available to help. She'd been begging Mike McBride to get another K9 unit in the department, but he always complained that they didn't have the budget for it.

If she could get one or both of the Rangers' dogs trained for Search and Rescue, that would free her and Locet up to concentrate on the more law enforcement aspects of her job, such as narcotics and explosives searches. The Rangers' dogs, at least for the moment, would only be used for Search and Rescue for lost hikers and such, although if they did well, she could see them maybe going to the K9 Academy later for additional training for Narcotics and Explosives searches. In this day and age, terrorist threats weren't unheard of, even in a picturesque tourist town like South Lake Tahoe.

"So, do you want to do the training here?" Matt asked.

"Might be easier without so many people around," she replied, spying the Rangers watching them through the big glass windows of the station.

"They should be okay in your truck together," Matt remarked. "We can just head up the road to my place if you want. Lots of room to run around there."

Laura smiled. "I heard that old Fred Saunders gave you a good deal on his place."

Matt laughed. "'Good Deal' doesn't even begin to cover it," he commented. "Teagan, come!" he called, bringing both dogs running. They all piled into Laura's truck and headed up the dirt and gravel road that went past the station and wound around behind the building and further up the mountain to Matt's new home.

"This is gonna be tough later in winter," she remarked, driving through the less than two feet of snow that covered the road. Her big truck handled the drive easily, but as the winter really set in and the snow got much deeper, it would be impassable.

"Yeah, I know. Fred seldom came down in winter. If he needed something, he had it delivered. Sometimes we would take up groceries and such on our snowmobiles. I may pave the road next summer, make it easier to plow. I'm not gonna rent out the small cabin this winter, so I won't need access from the road."

"Can I borrow it after Christmas?" she asked, getting a glimmer of an idea.

"Sure," he replied, smiling. "Uncle Bubba coming for a visit?"

"As a matter of fact, he is, along with my dad and brother. Think they'll all fit in the cabin?"

"Oh, yeah. It's small, but it has two bedrooms and a sleeper sofa in the main room. And if you're wanting to stay close, I could either lend you a cot or you're welcome to stay with me."

She smiled. "Separate bedrooms?"

Matt winked. "I'll leave that decision up to you. And whether or not Uncle Bubba will be packing!"

She laughed. "You've never met Uncle Bubba. He doesn't need to carry a gun," she said, pulling up in front of the big log house that Matt now lived in. "He used to play pro football for the Green Bay Packers." She climbed out, opening the back door for both dogs and headed toward the house.

Matt slowly made his way out of the vehicle. "Ah, maybe I'll just stay at the station while they're here," he said apprehensively. She cackled at the thought of big, bad Matthew Hawkes being afraid of Bubba Skinner. Then again, Uncle Bubba was six-foot-four and two hundred twenty pounds, so maybe he was right to be scared. And her dad and brother weren't little guys either. It would be interesting to see their reactions to Matt.

She turned to watch him, and seeing that he was paying attention to the dogs frolicking in the snow, she reached down for a handful of snow, packed it into a snowball and tossed it his way. Catching her sometime lover unaware wasn't usually so easy, so when her snowball splattered across his face, she knew she was in for some retaliation.

"Oh, that's war, woman," Matt declared, chasing after her, tackling her into the soft, but cold, snow. She squealed, which alerted both dogs, who came running to join in the fun. Humans and dogs rolled around in the snow for several minutes, before Laura finally cried 'uncle'. Matt stuffed one last handful of snow down the back of her jacket, before standing up and offering a hand, helping her to her feet as well.

"Let's head inside," he said. "I'll make lunch and some hot chocolate while you change clothes."

"That's sounds good," she replied, detouring to her truck to grab a small duffel bag from the back seat. She followed Matt inside, where he stoked the fire as she removed her jacket, tossing the duffel on the sofa. She glanced around. The door opened to a large great room, the living room to the right, the kitchen to the left. There was a short hallway directly in front of her, just past stairs that led to the second floor. "This is a great place, Matt. You've really made it look like a home."

"Thanks," he said, removing his own coat, and taking hers, hanging them both on the coat rack next to the door. "Fred left some of the furniture, but most of it is mine."

"Fred leave the rocker?" she asked, chuckling.

"No, that was my Mom's. Fred decided he needed his to rock those two grandkids of his," Matt answered while walking toward the kitchen. Laura continued to look around the room, spotting photos of Matt and his brother, Cody; Matt, Cody and their father. And a nice picture of Matt's Mom, probably taken before she got so sick, she thought.

She shivered, reminding her that her clothing was wet. As she walked over to the sofa, she pulled her sweatshirt off, tossing it over the fire place screen, then followed that with the tank top she wore underneath, leaving her in only a bra. She opened up her duffel bag, pulling out a fresh, dry T-shirt and dry jeans. Setting them down, she unzipped her jeans, then sat on the heavy wood coffee table to remove her boots. Turning around, she stretched to set the boots on the fireplace hearth, then stood to remove her jeans.

In the kitchen, Matt looked up just as she slid the jeans off. He smiled. Laura was as beautiful today as she was the first day he met her. She was nearly six feet tall herself, slender and muscular in all the right places, a testament to keeping herself fit for her job. She had long brown hair with reddish brown streaks, and blue eyes. The combination was mesmerizing. He often wondered if she had some Indian blood in her, judging by the dark tones of her skin.

She picked up the fresh T-shirt and as she began to slip her arms into it she glanced up, finally noticing Matt watching her. Licking her lips, she asked, "You like what you see?"

"Oh yeah," he drawled.

"Then why are you still way over there?" she challenged him, tossing the T-shirt back onto the couch.

Matt pulled the pan of warm milk off the stove, turning off the burner. He slowly made his way back to the living room, pulling his T-shirt over his head. When he reached for the long sleeve thermal shirt he wore underneath, she ordered. "Stop! That's my job."

He dropped his hands and continued toward her. "Well, far be it from me to keep you from your work, Deputy," he said, stopping in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a soft, gentle kiss.

"Where's the bedroom in this place?" she asked, softly.

Matt took her hands in his and, walking backward, led her down the hallway, stealing kisses along the way.

/

Although they got a late start to the training, it was well worth it as far as Matt was concerned. After their brief...distraction...they had a belated lunch, then headed outside. For the next two hours, Matt watched her put Locet through his paces, doing some simple tracking, then he attempted to have Teagan do the same.

And she did fairly well, considering it was her first day.

Laura had brought along some 'scent' bags, each one containing something different. One would have perfume, another sweat, one the scent of a child's crayon, and so on. Of the dozen bags that she brought, Teagan was able to locate four of them. The problem was, she kept getting distracted by other things.

They finally stopped for the day, heading back inside to warm up. After hanging up their jackets, Matt went to make some coffee and Laura followed him into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter. "I think she's gonna be great, Matt. She did better than most dogs on the first try."

"She seems to get easily distracted," he remarked.

"That's normal. The more you work with her, the better she'll get. The work will become fun for her. You just need to keep it fresh. You know most of the kids that live near the Ranger station, right?"

"Yeah," he said, confused by the question.

"Have them help. Snag a piece of clothing from one of them, then have them 'get lost'," she said, using finger quotes to make her point. "Then have her try to track them from their house. Start out with them only going short distances, fifty feet, then a hundred; keep expanding the search area. Use the clothing as a guide, see how she does."

"What kind of time frame are we talking about here?" he asked, finishing with the coffee maker and flipping the switch on.

"A few months maybe, depending on how often you're able to work with her. Come spring, when the wild animals are more active, you might see a back slide, as the distractions get more numerous. You'll need to work through them. It'll take a good year before she's proficient."

Matt nodded, then moved between her legs, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her hips. "You staying over tonight?" he asked.

"Depends."

"On?"

"You have the makings for your famous chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Would I invite you over if I didn't?"

"I would hope not." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. They stayed that way, only breaking away to take a breath, until the coffee maker beeped its completion.

Matt gestured toward the living room. "I'll grab the coffee and meet you in front of the fire."

She nodded and once he backed away, hopped down from the counter and sashayed into the living room, knowing that he was watching her ass as she walked away. She gave a purposeful wiggle, smiling at his laugh at having been caught.

She sat down, pulling off her boots and propping her feet up onto the coffee table. Matt came in, sat beside her and handed her a cup, then removed his own boots, placing his feet next to hers on the table. She took a deep breath, the aroma delighting her senses. Lifting the cup, she took a small sip of the hot brew, then leaned her head against Matt's shoulder. Locet and Teagan had curled up together on the rug in front of the fireplace.

"This is nice," she said.

"Yeah. I love the peace and quiet up here."

"No more noisy neighbors or traffic?"

"Exactly."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, finishing their coffee. Matt took both cups back to the kitchen and rinsed them out. When he returned, Laura had her eyes closed and appeared to be dosing, her head resting against the back of the sofa. "Stand up a sec," he said, taking her hand. She did and he lay down on his side, then he gently pulled her down in front of him, her back to his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, his other arm cushioning her head. She took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers, their hands against her stomach.

Ten minutes later, they were both asleep.

/


	3. Chapter 3

**_CHAPTER 3_**

Over the next few weeks, Laura and Matt got together for additional training whenever they could. Laura also spent time working with Cutler and Zephyr. Both Ranger dogs seemed to be picking things up rather quickly, although Zephyr, being a puppy, was much more easily distracted. But Laura was confident they would make great additions to the Ranger team. She planned to have several more sessions once the weather started turning warmer, but she was pleased with how they were doing.

She also spent more nights staying with Matt. She didn't know if it was because she was there anyway, working with Teagan or just that she was getting closer to him. And she really didn't care. She enjoyed their time together and found herself looking forward to it. She knew that part of it was being able to do some training with Teagan, but she also trained Zephyr, and she didn't anticipate being with Cutler nearly as much.

Although, she did bring along another female deputy once, and last she heard, Jimmy and Andrea seemed to be getting along, if the multiple dates they'd had since then was any indication. She ought to see if they wanted to double date with her and Matt. Nodding, she vowed to bring the subject up with Matt next time she saw him.

He had left early that morning, getting a call-out for a missing family. Since relatives had only a general idea of where the family had gone to cut a Christmas tree, the Rangers were going to begin an aerial search, with assistance of the State Patrol helicopter, before calling in her and Locet, so she'd elected to grab a few more hours of sleep.

This was actually her last day of work before vacation. He father, brother and uncle were coming in to town the next morning. She smiled, remembering the reaction from Uncle Bubba when she called last week to confirm their plans and she told him how many feet of snow were on the ground. Being from the south, they didn't get much snow and he hadn't had to deal with it much since he'd left Green Bay after he suffered a career ending football injury. Her father and brother had spent most of the last few years in Tennessee, which did get a fair amount of snow in the winter, so it wouldn't be so much of a shock to them.

When she'd mentioned to Matt that she hoped that her Uncle brought along a heavy winter coat, Matt told her she could borrow one of his if needed. He'd pulled a couple of old, worn, but still usable parkas from the closest, and told her to take her pick. It endeared him to her even more. He joked that it was only because he figured if he kept the man warm, he wouldn't hurt him too much for messing with his niece. She'd finally shown him photos of the man and Matt had no desire to tangle with him.

Finishing her shower, she dressed and headed out, Locet with her. Matt had taken Teagan to the station when he'd left earlier. She thought she'd stop by on her way out to see if they had made any progress in figuring out where the lost family had been headed. Locking up behind her, she loaded Locet and headed down the mountain, pulling into the far end of the parking lot. There were several vehicles in the lot, from Rangers, to Sheriff, to privately owned vehicles and even a news van.

She hoped Matt was out of the station, knowing how he hated to deal with the media. She climbed out and opened the back door. Considering how many people were likely in the station, she decided to put Locet's leash on, just to be safe. As she walked in the door, she noticed that Izzy was actually wearing a headset, which meant that either it was too difficult to hear over the speakers with all the people in the room, or loved ones of the lost family were in the room and they didn't want the information going out where they could hear it. Judging by the crying woman sitting on the sofa, she figured it was the latter.

She moved closer to the desk, trying to be inconspicuous, which wasn't always easy with a large dog trailing behind you. As she got close she could hear Izzy talking to someone over the radio.

"...affirmative, Flying Tiger. She just walked in the door. Hold one." Izzy pulled off the headset and handed it to Laura. "Matt. He's sending Avila back for you."

She nodded, slipping the headset over both ears and turning her back to the room. Izzy took the opportunity to hit the bathroom and grab a cup of coffee.

"Flying Tiger, this is K9-One."

"K9-One, you have impeccable timing." She could hear the smile in his voice. "We found the vehicle. We've done an aerial search, with no sigh of our missing family, so White Eagle has put me down to check. The vehicle is empty. I have two separate trails leading away, one north, one south. Frank is on his way back to get you and drop you at the vehicle. I've checked both trails out a distance of one hundred yards, with no luck. The one to the north is older. I'm gonna follow that. Once you get up here, I need you to follow the south trail. I've got Cutler and Zephyr, as well as Teagan with me. Hart will meet you at the vehicle. He and Robin will be your backup. Copy?"

"Copy, Flying Tiger. I'll be ready when White Eagle gets back."

"Flying Tiger out."

"K9-One out." She handed the headset back to Izzy. "Matt explain?" she asked him quietly. When he nodded, she continued. "I'll be going out with Robin and Hart. I'll need one of your radios. I'm gonna go get my gear from truck. Can you keep an eye on Locet?" she asked, holding out the leash.

"No problem," he said, taking the leash. "You want a thermos of coffee to take with you?"

"Sounds great, thanks!" she said before jogging back out to her truck.

Fifteen minutes later, she was outside watching Avila touch down. She and Locet were both geared up, she wearing her blue parka with 'Sheriff's Dept. Search and Rescue' in big while letters on the back. Locet was wearing a vest of the same color and cold weather dog-boots on his feet. His vest had the same lettering and around his collar hung a GPS tracking system beacon. Laura had the receiver end so that she could always tell where he was, since she'd be letting him off the leash if they got a good track.

Hart joined her as Robin jumped out of the chopper. "Just need to make a pit stop," the blond called out as she ran past them. By the time they loaded up, she had returned and jumped back into the bird and it lifted off again. Frank did another quick flyover to the south, but still not seeing any human movement, he lowered the bird.

Once on the ground, Laura had Tim and Robin stand back while she took Locet around the vehicle, then toward the south trail to the south. She gestured for the two Rangers to follow. They hefted their large packs further onto their shoulders and took their places behind Deputy Skinner and Locet.

Avila would continue to circle the area, flying a widening grid search, hoping to see some sign of movement on the ground.

/

Approximately five miles north, Matt and Jimmy were approaching an area that both dogs had alerted on. They saw what looked like an unnatural part of the landscape, covered in snow. A bad feeling worked its way down Matt's spine as he moved closer. He was ten feet away when he noticed the shoe.

"Damn it," he muttered softly. "Jimmy, I think we just found one of them."

"Yeah," was all Cutler said, as he, too, spotted the shoe poking out from the snow.

"Let's get him uncovered."

Cutler moved forward and the two men swept away the snow with their gloved hands. Underneath, they found a man, who looked to be around forty-years old. As per protocol, Matt removed his right glove and searched for a pulse, but unsurprisingly was unable to find one. It appeared as if they man had been there, buried in the snow, for most of the night. Matt briefly closed his eyes and pulled out his radio, giving a glance to Cutler.

"Flying Tiger to base," Matt intoned calmly.

"_Base here, go Flying Tiger_."

"Izzy, you clear for information?"

"_Affirmative, Flying Tiger. I'm hands free_."

Matt nodded. That meant Izzy was still using the headphones, which meant the family wouldn't be able to hear what Matt would tell him. "Advise the Sheriff that we have one Delta Bravo, Male, White, around forty. Blue parka, blue jeans."

Izzy paused briefly. Delta Bravo-dead body. He swallowed and tried to keep from looking at the family across the room, not wanting to give anything away. "_Affirmative, Flying Tiger. Be advised, K9-One has confirmed that it looks like she is following three tracks_."

Matt nodded, having heard the brief radio traffic from Laura. There were only four people in the vehicle, according to the family-two adult males and the two sons of one of the men, aged seven and nine. He hoped that Laura found the other three alive and well. And he also hoped, that this man he and Cutler had found, was the uncle and that the two boys hadn't just lost their father.

"Copy that. Cutler and I will stand-by. We're approximately five miles northeast of the vehicle. Have White Eagle respond here with a paramedic crew, as per protocol. We'll pop smoke when he gets overhead."

"_Copy, Flying Tiger._"

"K9-One, you copy last," Matt called.

"_Frostbite, here, we copy, Flying Tiger. Be advised, Locet is alerting to something up ahead. We may have an update in a few minutes."_

"Copy. Advise if you need to have White Eagle divert. We're in no hurry here," he said, hoping they had three live rescues. He was willing to wait all day with this poor guy if the other three were found alive. While they waited, Cutler and Matt prepared the victim for transport, zipping him into a black body bag.

Moments later, a welcome report came back.

"_We are seeing some movement! Back with you in a few minutes!" _Robin called, excited.

Matt and Cutler found a rock and settled down to wait. Over the next ten minutes, they heard Hart call for Frank to divert to their location. They had found the other three, alive but in need of immediate medical assistance. It sounded like one of the boys might have fallen down a ravine. Robin and Hart radioed that they were harnessing up to climb down to him.

"At least they're alive," Cutler remarked, pouring out some water into a collapsible bowl for both dogs. Matt just nodded as he glanced over to their own failed rescue. He shook his head. No matter how many public service messages were put out there, to tell people to stay put if they get lost, they still ventured out to find help.

He wondered why the others decided to leave the vehicle. At least their car would have provided them with some shelter and was easier to spot from the air, especially when the sun was shining, as it would bounce off the metal of the car.

"Yeah, but what kind of Christmas are they going to have?" Matt asked. The holiday was only a week away. Whether this man was the father or the uncle of the boys, the family would still be grieving over the holidays and it would taint all their future Christmases.

"We did our best, Matt," Cutler said, offering what little comfort he could. "Sometimes, nature wins."

Matt gave him a sad smile. "You sound like my dad."

"Hey, I'll take that as a compliment."

"I remember going Christmas tree hunting with him when I was a kid. He even let me pick out the tree. I see pictures of it now and wonder why I thought it was so great. It was scraggly and thin, bent at the top. It was a damn ugly tree. But at the time, it seemed like the most beautiful tree I had ever seen."

"Remember that winter you and Jesse brought a tree down for my family, when Dad was laid up with a broken leg?"

Matt nodded. "It was too tall to fit in your house. Dad had to cut three feet off the bottom."

"We ended up not having any ornaments on the top part of the tree, not even a tree topper, because my Mom wouldn't let me climb the ladder to put them up."

"Probably afraid you'd end up with matching casts."

The two men laughed at the memories. Matt reached into his pack and pulled out a bright orange ball and squeezed it, Teagan's ears standing up at the sound from the squeaker inside. She barked and ran over to him, ready to play. He tossed the ball and she chased after it, digging in the snow to get to it. Cutler followed suit and soon both dogs were chasing squeaky toys, often racing each other to get the closest one.

"_White Eagle to Flying Tiger."_

Matt pulled the radio from his harness. "Go White Eagle, you have Flying Tiger."

"_Matt, I'm loaded up and heading in to Tahoe with three victims and Frostbite, plus one paramedic. K9-One and the others are going to head back to the vehicle, see if they can get it moving. I'll return in about forty minutes. I'll need to refuel before coming back for you."_

"Roger. Cutler and I will stand-by here."

_"Stay warm! White Eagle out."_

"Flying Tiger to Base."

_"Base here, go Flying Tiger."_

"Izzy, what's the status there?"

_"The Sheriff is escorting the family to the hospital. He's already told them about your victim. From your description, your guy is the Uncle."_

"Roger. You copy that Cutler and I are standing by with our Delta Bravo, the others are heading back to the vehicle?"

_"Affirm. If they get it started, they can drive it back down. Frank will come back for you first in either case. And I'll have a fresh pot of hot coffee ready when you get back."_

Matt smiled. "Good man. Flying Tiger out."

_"I'm learning. Base out."_

Matt put the radio back in his pocket. Glancing at his watch, he looked up at the sky.

"Problems?" Cutler asked, noticing his scrutiny.

"Shouldn't be. Storm coming in, but we got a couple hours. Should be back in Tahoe long before it hits."

Cutler looked up, not seeing anything different then what was there an hour ago, except the sun had moved to a slightly different position.

"How can you tell?"

Matt shrugged. "Can smell it," he said, taking the ball from Teagan and tossing it again.

"Smell it." Jimmy shook his head. "Merlin was right. It's in your DNA."

Matt just shrugged again. He couldn't explain how he knew what he knew. He supposed it was just growing up on the mountain, you learned to read the land and the weather. His father and Cody were much better at it then he was, which would prove the point since they depended on it much more than he did most times.

For the next half-hour, the two men played with the dogs and talked about the upcoming holidays. Avila returned to pick them up and they returned to the station, a coroner's wagon waiting there to take the body away.

An hour later, Hart and the others returned with the family's vehicle, which had to be towed back to town, and was turned over to the Sheriff's department for return to the family.

Once they got back, Laura pulled Matt and Cutler outside, along with their dogs. They did a practice rescue, with Izzy as the 'victim'. Laura explained that whenever the outcome of a rescue was a victim that couldn't be saved, it was always good to stage a rescue with a live victim, to give the dogs some positive re-enforcement. She explained that dogs could get depressed, just like people.

It sounded a little odd to Matt, but she was the expert and so he'd do what she suggested.

/

Matt spent Christmas with his family at his dad's cabin. He'd originally been scheduled to work, since Hart's mom and sister were supposed to be flying out to spend the holiday with him and he'd asked for a few days off. But the week before, Tim had received a call from his sister that their mom had fallen and broken her leg. Her doctor didn't want her to travel, so they decided to postpone the trip and fly out after the New Year.

So, Tim had told Matt he'd work and Matt had taken him up on the offer to spend the time with Jesse and Cody. He loaded their gifts, plus a few supplies, onto a snowmobile, settled Teagan in front of him and made the two-hour journey to the cabin. He pulled up in front of the small wood structure and turned off the machine. Teagan jumped off and ran into the woods. Matt closed his eyes and smiled. He loved it up here. He wasn't able to visit very often during the winter, but was grateful to Hart for the chance to do it over the holiday.

He heard the door creak and opened his eyes, his father standing in the doorway with a smile on his face. "You gonna come inside, Mathew, or should we bring your presents out there?" Teagan raced over to him and received the ear scratches she'd been expecting, then hurried inside to curl up in front of the fire.

"Hi, Dad," Matt replied, climbing off and gathering up the two cardboard boxes he'd strapped to the back of his vehicle. Carrying them inside, he dropped the box holding his gifts for Jesse and Cody onto the handmade coffee table, then took the other one into the small kitchen in the rear of the cabin.

"Coffee's hot," Jesse said, as he reached for a cup and handed it to his eldest son.

Matt poured himself a cup, then followed his father back into the living room. "Where's Cody?"

"Took off an hour ago. Said he needed to find something to finish off a gift." When Matt's only reply was a lifting of one blond eyebrow, Jesse just shrugged. "I have no clue."

Father and son spent the next hour just talking, Matt bringing his father up-to-date on the happenings in town and with the Rangers. Although Jesse was no longer in charge, he still liked to know what was going on with the group he'd founded. He knew that Matt was looking forward to expanding the ranks, and had requested two more positions. Since the Rangers were now an accredited federal law enforcement unit, they had to get approval from the federal government to add positions. It was a long, tedious process with a large volume of paperwork involved. But it would be worth it, if they could add two more Rangers.

Matt sat back then, as his father began reminiscing about the early days of the High Mountain Rangers. The older man didn't get nostalgic all that often, but Matt enjoyed the stories when he did. This time, Jesse even went so far as to pull out a shoebox full of photos from the early days of the Rangers.

"Isn't there still a bunch of stuff in the attic at the Ranger station?" Matt asked. The last time he'd been in attic, he'd noticed a couple dozen boxes stacked against one wall. Each had been meticulously marked with dates, most of which were a decade or more old.

Jesse shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised. I know John Harper used to keep a lot of the records and photos and such. He called it his spring cleaning. He'd go through all the drawer and cabinets once a year and box up the stuff we didn't need or was out-of-date or broken. He never threw anything away. He was a child of the depression, so he saved everything, figuring that one day we just might need the old broken equipment for parts and such."

"I may have to see what's up there someday," Matt commented, as he sorted through the photos, glancing at the backs to read the names of the people in the photo. Most he knew or at least, he knew their names. He picked up one photo, which he knew was the original team. Jesse leaned over from his seat next to Matt.

"That was the first picture we ever took of the team," he told his son. "It was the day we got the approval to begin work." He pointed at a very tall man in the back. "That's John Harper. He was only with us a couple of years before he hurt his leg on a rescue and had to quit. We tried to get him to stick around and just work the radio full-time, but he declined. I think he just missed being out on the mountain too much and hated the idea of everyone going out on calls without him."

Jesse took the photo from Matt and stared at the faces that smiled out at him. "Six men. Only two of us still alive," he said, handing it back to his son. "Me and Mike Browning," he put his finger on the young kid kneeling in the front row, holding a wooden sign that had the original logo of the Rangers, crudely hand painted by Jesse. "He lives in Sacramento now. Haven't talked to him in the last couple years."

Jesse stood up and walked to the window, sipping from his cup. Matt watched his father, realizing that he still carried some grief as the loss of each of the other men weighed on Jesse, as it just proved to him that he was getting older. Matt flipped the photo over and read the names of the other men. He remembered attending the funerals of each man over the years. Only one member of the original team had died in the line of duty, Earl Jones, in the second year that the Rangers had been in existence.

Since then, only one other Ranger had been lost on duty-Matt's Commander, Merlin Pierce, who was shot to death by TJ Cousins. That spoke to the skill and professionalism of the Rangers, losing only two members since the inception of the unit.

He noted the date of the photo and began to put it back in the box with the others. Then his hand stopped and he turned the photo over again. He did some quick calculations in his head, then, smiling, he dropped the photo back in the box and placed the lid back in place. Finishing his coffee, his mind raced with the spark of an idea. Nodding to himself, he realized he had the perfect Father's Day gift for next year, both for his father...and the father of the High Mountain Rangers.

/

Two days later, he loaded Teagan onto the snowmobile, said goodbye to Jesse and Cody and headed back down the mountain. He had enjoyed his time with his family, as he always did. He knew he might not be able to make it back very often until spring, but he would do his best to get up at least once a month.

As he pulled up in front of his home, he noticed Laura's truck parked nearby. Smiling, he turned off the machine, grabbed his duffel and hurried inside, Teagan on his heels.

He got a fire started in the fireplace then stashed his duffel, giving himself a mental reminder to do some laundry later. Glancing out his back window, he saw smoke drifting up through the trees, so figured Laura was likely at the other cabin with her family. She would have heard the snowmobile as he arrived back home, so hopefully she would come over later.

He knew he had some of his father's venison stew in the freezer, so pulled that out to thaw, hoping it would be enough to feed everyone if she decided to bring her father, brother and uncle to meet him. Checking his stores, he decided he had enough to put together a salad too, just in case, knowing that it wouldn't go to waste if they didn't all come to dinner. And he'd brought down two loaves of rye bread that Cody had made over Christmas, as well as some of his dad's chocolate chip cookies.

Speaking of which. He popped open the large tin and took a deep breath of the sweet treats, grabbing several before closing it back up again. He poured himself a large glass of milk and settled in front of the fire with milk and cookies. He'd have to hide the tin later. If he didn't, and any of his Rangers found them, they wouldn't last long. His father's cookies were famous at the Ranger station, but he planned to hoard these for himself.

Jesse had promised to make an extra-large batch and bring them down after New Year's, so he just needed to keep this batch away from his team for a week or so. Of course, he'd likely finish them all by then, he thought, savoring the sweetness as he bit into his first treat.

Twenty minutes, six cookies and another glass of milk later, Teagan began to bark and ran to the door. Matt forced himself off the sofa and glanced out the side window, smiling when he saw Laura walking his way, following by three very large men. Locet was running ahead through the snow. He opened the door and walked onto the wrap-around porch, heading around to the side of the house to greet his visitors, Teagan racing out to greet them too, running around the group, barking and wagging her tail.

"Matt! How was Christmas?" she called out when she saw Matt on the porch.

"Wonderful. Dad and Cody said to tell you hello. You have a good holiday?"

"Fantastic," she said as she stepped up onto the porch. "Matt, I'd like you to meet my folks. This is my Dad, Jacob; my brother, Zeke; and my uncle, Bubba. Guys, this is Matt Hawkes."

Matt shook hands with all three men, grateful that none of them felt the need to show their strength by attempting to crush his hand. "Nice to meet you all. I have coffee brewing if you'd like to come in."

"We're actually heading into town. Dad and Uncle Bubba want to see where I work."

Matt nodded. "Well, if you want to come back for dinner, I have venison stew."

"Your dad's?" Lauren asked, her face lighting up.

Matt smiled. "Yep. And Cody's rye bread."

"We will be there," she declared. "I will not miss either. It's been too long since I had your dad's stew." She turned to her family. "Jesse Hawkes makes the best venison stew I have ever eaten. And I don't know what Cody does to that bread, but it is melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I don't suppose Jesse sent you home with some of his cookies?"

Matt laughed. "You know he did. I bet you smelled them from across that creek."

"We'll see you in a couple hours," she said, giving him a kiss before leading the men to her truck, Locet jumping into the rear. She failed to notice the narrowed eyes of her father and uncle, or the delighted grin her brother directed Matt's way as the three men reacted to her display of affection. But Matt noticed and hoped they wouldn't kill him the first chance they got.

He called out to Teagan to keep her from joining her canine friend in Laura's truck. He waved as they drove away, before going back into the house. He glanced around, seeing if there was any housekeeping he needed to do before his guests returned and decided that everything looked good. He tended to keep everything pretty neat and tidy, an offshoot of his upbringing. Being children of a former Marine, he and Cody both learned early in life not to leave messes.

He decided to bring in some more firewood and kindling, then he'd put together a salad. Something told him that those three Skinner men didn't get that big by eating small meals, so he pulled another container of stew from the freezer. Since his father had stored it in large freezer bags, it would be easy to thaw it quickly by boiling the bags in a pot of water. He got that started, then pulled the salad fixings out and started slicing and dicing.

He also grabbed two six-packs of beer from the pantry and stuck them outside in the snow to get cold, along with a bottle of Laura's favorite wine, giving himself a mental reminder to check them in an hour to make sure they didn't freeze. Once everything was ready, he decided to shower and change into jeans and a sweater. He slipped on a pair of thick wool socks and headed into the kitchen.

He was just putting on a fresh pot of coffee when he heard Teagan barking. Glancing into the reflective glass of the kitchen window, he ran his fingers through his hair. Moving into the living room, he opened the front door and leaned against the doorframe as Laura climbed out and headed toward him, followed by her menfolk. Locet and Teagan took off chasing each other, plowing through the snow, which was about as deep as they were tall.

"So, how was the tour?" he asked as the Skinner family entered his home.

"Interestin'," Bubba said, with a distinct southern drawl. "Seems like y'all deal with some of the same things we do in Mississippi."

"The nature of the beast," Matt said. "People are people, stupid is stupid, no matter where you go."

"You're federal, right?" Bubba asked.

"Yes, sir. Although our main job is Search and Rescue, we are federal law enforcement as well."

Laura directed them to remove their boots and jackets, setting them upside down on boot racks that were on the hearth and hanging the coats on the rack by the door. They all found seats in the living room, Laura dropping onto the middle of the sofa and curling her feet underneath her, with her uncle on one side and Matt on the other. Jacob settled into the rocking chair beside the fire, while Zeke dropped down onto the floor in front of the hearth.

"Ah, warmth," the youngest Skinner remarked. "I thought Tennessee was cold. Those hills ain't got nothing on Tahoe. And here I thought California was supposed to be warm."

"You should try working in this weather," Laura said. "I swear, my first year out here, every time I went out on a call, I thought I was gonna come back with frostbite."

"It's not really all that cold," Matt said.

"As I've heard Frank Avila remark in the past, 'to you it's subtropical, to everyone else, it's cold'." She turned to her brother. "Matt was raised on this mountain. In fact, for most of his life, he lived five thousand feet higher than we are here. It's about ten to fifteen degrees colder and the snow is about five feet deeper."

"Ten at least," Matt joked.

"Matt is used to moving easily through the mountains, no matter the weather."

"Laura was telling us that you're a Forest Ranger?" Jacob asked.

"A High Mountain Ranger," Laura corrected.

"Your daddy started these High Mountain Rangers?" Jacob questioned.

"Yes, he did. When he left the Marine Corps, he spent some time as a Deputy Sheriff. They found themselves called out often on search and rescue calls, but lacked the training and equipment to do the job properly. He got frustrated at the loss of life that he felt could have been prevented with a trained unit. So he began to research what was needed and found that there weren't a lot of agencies like that around the country, and none in California or Nevada. And most of the ones in other states were volunteers. He felt there needed to be an official organization."

"So he started one?" Zeke asked.

Matt nodded, smiling at Laura's younger brother. "Yes, but he went a step further. Most of the SAR groups were strictly that, just search and rescue, with no police powers. He decided that he wanted his unit to be able to arrest if need be. So he worked with a friend who was a US Senator and they drafted a proposal and submitted it to the Justice Department. It took about five years to get it through. In the meantime, he gathered a group of six men and got them started in training in the search and rescue aspect of the job. The Senator was able to get the group admitted to the state police academy and got them fully trained in law enforcement. Later on, they were able to get them fully accredited at FLETC."

"Flet-see?" Zeke questioned.

Before Matt could answer, Bubba piped up. "That's the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. It's in Georgia, trains all the Feds, like the FBI and such." He turned back to Matt. "Sounds like your daddy knew what he was doing," he commented.

Matt chuckled. "Oh, they had their missteps for sure. But any opposition to the idea kind of went by the wayside when his newly trained group, with virtually no equipment except what they'd been able to beg, borrow or steal, was able to not only locate, but rescue, six kids who had been taken hostage by some escaped prisoners who fled into the mountains. And they took the prisoners back into custody without a shot being fired."

"You sound like a proud son."

"Oh, I am, trust me."

"And now you're the commander," Zeke remarked. "Kinda like the family business."

"And his younger brother, Cody, will probably be the next one to join up," Laura interjected.

"Cody has a few years yet. He's only fifteen. But I figure he'll be on board as soon as he's old enough to legally carry a gun. Maybe even sooner."

"He can be a Ranger before he turns twenty-one?" Jacob asked.

"As long as he stays strictly with the Search and Rescue side of the Rangers. We have a couple of Rangers who started out that way, then once they turned twenty-one, we sent them through the firearms and police training. Everyone we have now is fully trained as both."

"Fascinating. And how many units are there now?"

"Three in California, one in Oregon, one in Nevada and another one in process of being put together in Utah."

"That's some legacy your daddy's going to leave behind," Bubba remarked.

"Yeah." Matt glanced into the fire, remembering everything the job had cost his family, with his parents' divorce and the injury his dad had suffered at the hands of T.J. Cousins. His father was away more than he was home while Matt was young as he struggled to get the Rangers up and running.

Laura's hand on his arm brought him back to the present. He had a feeling she knew exactly where his thoughts were. He smiled, grateful for her compassion. Clearing his throat, he stood up. "I'll go check on the stew. Anyone want a beer?" he asked as he moved toward the kitchen.

All three Skinner men nodded. "I'll get it," Laura said. She slipped on a pair of snow boots that Matt kept by the door, not bothering to tie them up. As she opened up the door, Zeke asked where she was going. She replied, "To nature's refrigerator."

Intrigued he jumped up and followed her out the door. When he saw her reached into an indention in the snow next to the steps and pull out a six pack, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. She reached back in, tugging out a bottle of wine, which caused him to step closer, without moving off the porch, and look into the 'fridge'. "He got a side of beef in there too?" he asked, with a grin.

"Nope. That would be in the freezer. It's out back." He laughed as he took the beer from her and heading back inside. Pulling three beers free, he handed one each to his father and uncle, then set one down on the hearth for himself. "Matt, you want beer?"

"Please," the blond said as he walked back into the room, holding a wineglass and corkscrew. He made short work of the wine bottle, sliding the cork out with a pop, filling the glass and handing it to Laura with a wink as she got out of the boots and dropped back onto the sofa. Her eyes questioned if he was okay. He nodded and sat beside her, popping the top on his beer.

Neither Bubba nor Jacob missed the silent communication and wondered just how close Laura and Matt were. Both men vowed to find out everything they could about the blond who seemed to have captured Laura's affection, if not her heart.

Barking from outside drew Zeke's attention and he hopped up and hurried to the window. "Where'd the other dog come from?"

"Is it a Husky?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"That's Zephyr. He belongs to one of my Rangers, Jim Cutler. They live in the cabin up on the ridge."

"That must be him trekking through the snow," Zeke remarked. "Actually, it looks like he's walking on top the snow."

"He'll be using snowshoes, so basically that's what he is doing."

Matt opened the door and called out. "Jimmy, get your butt in here and have a beer."

Cutler grinned. "Jesse said you'd headed back. I was hoping I could scarf some goodies that I just know he sent home with you."

Jim removed the snowshoes and set them against the outside cabin wall before following Matt and the dogs inside. Matt stepped back as all three dogs decide to shake off the excess snow at the same time, followed by Cutler stomping the snow from his boots.

He shook his head. "You couldn't have done that outside?" he asked, exasperated.

"Floor's wet anyway," Cutler said with a shrug. Getting only a frown in reply, he slipped off his boots and jacket, handing them off to Matt, then ambled down the hallway. "I'll, ah, just grab some towels and clean this up, then."

Matt took the items over toward the fireplace, sliding the boots onto a drying rack on the hearth and draping the jacket on a hook that had been screwed into the brick. He turned around to see Laura trying not to laugh. "Don't start, woman. You'll just encourage him."

"Matt, Jimmy Cutler does not need any encouragement to act like a juvenile delinquent."

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Cutler said, sliding across the floor in his stocking feet, nearly toppling over the lamp when he bumped into the side table next to the sofa.

"Yes, you do," Matt agreed.

Jimmy dropped down to his knees with a grin, flung open the towel and began rubbing it across the wet floor. Of course Zephyr decided this was some new game and immediately pounced on the towel and latching on with his teeth, growling at this new prey. The other two animals joined in and it was a free-for-all, a four-way tug-of-war.

"Somethin' tells me that floor ain't gonna get dry anytime soon," Bubba remarked with a smile.

"Oh, it'll get dry if I have to drag Cutler around on the floor by his hair." Just about that time, Locet grabbed hold of the towel and started dragging Cutler around the room. "On second thought, I guess Locet will handle that for me." The others laughed, including Cutler, who was hanging on for the ride.

Cutler stayed for dinner and spent the evening regaling the Skinner men with stories of mountain rescues.

/


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER 4_**

"So, Laura tells me you're all going into town today," Matt asked as he joined the Skinners outside the next morning.

"Actually, Matt, would you mind if I tagged along with you today?" Bubba asked. "I'd love to see what it is you do."

Matt smiled. "As long as you don't mind the cold," he replied. "You ever driven a snowmobile?"

"Can't say that I have," Bubba asked, having second thoughts about hanging out with Matt.

"Have you driven motorcycles or dirt bikes?"

"Now that, I have done!"

"Same principle. I'll give you a quick lesson before we head down to the station."

Bubba nodded, smiling at the chance to learn something new.

"Okay, then," Laura said, turning to her dad and brother. "Guess it's just the three of us then. Uncle Bubba, should we worry about meeting you for lunch?"

Bubba turned to Matt, who answered. "Don't worry, we'll feed you. It's Frank's turn to cook today, I think."

"At least you'll eat well, then. Just don't drink the coffee if Izzy made it," Laura warned.

"Why don't the three of you come by the station when you're done? You can meet the rest of the Rangers," Matt suggested.

"Sounds like a great idea," Zeke said.

"Okay, well we'll see you later than," Matt told them, opening the door and setting his now empty coffee cup on the table just inside the door and grabbed his parka from the coat rack. "C'mon, I'll give you your first lesson," he told Bubba, slipping it on and zipping it closed.

The others climbed into Laura's truck and headed out while Matt showed Bubba the basics of snowmobile handling. Bubba took to the instructions quickly. Matt checked his watch and realized that he would be late if they didn't head down soon. He got Teagan settled in front of him and with Bubba on the back, and taking it slow with the extra weight, they made it to the station with ten minutes to spare.

Teagan jumped off as soon as they stopped and ran to the door, barking, alerting Izzy to let her in. The two men followed close behind, to find the others just finishing up breakfast.

"Hey, Matt, coffee's on!" Cutler called from the pool table, where he was involved in a game with Hart. "Bubba, good morning! Come to see how the feds work?"

"Gotta make sure you boys are as good as I've heard," Bubba commented. "Laura sure has nice things to say about y'all."

Jimmy smiled. "All of us, or just one big blond in particular," the teased his Commander.

"Hey, everyone, come on in here," Matt called out, ignoring Cutler and drawing the last of the group from the kitchen. "Guys, I want you to meet Bubba Skinner. He's Laura Skinner's uncle, visiting from Mississippi. He's a Police Lieutenant there and he'll be tagging along with us today." He pointed to each Ranger as he introduced them. "Cutler you met yesterday, his call sign is Flash. The pool shark next to him is Tim Hart, or Black Magic, he's my second-in-command. Over by the radio is Izzy Flowers, better known as the Pocatello Kid. Behind you is our pilot, Frank Avila, AKA White Eagle. And the blond Swede is our resident paramedic, Robin Kelly, code name Frostbite."

Bubba nodded as each was introduced. "Nice to meet y'all. I look forward to seeing what y'all do here."

Frank and Jim set down their pool cues and gathered around the sofa as Bubba was drawn into conversation with the others, while Matt went to check his voice and e-mails to be sure nothing had to be addressed right away. When he came back out, he doled out the morning chores and patrol areas. He asked Izzy to get Bubba set up with a snowmobile, asking him to gas it up, then told Bubba to feel free to ride around the hills surrounding the station if he wanted while Matt caught up on some paperwork.

"Is it alright if I go along with him, Matt?" Izzy asked. "Not like I get much practice right now."

Matt laughed. "Sure, Izzy. Just turn the radio volume up so I can hear it in my office."

"Great, thanks, Matt. I'll take a hand-held with me in case we get a call and you need us to return right away."

"Just don't go more than a mile away. And dig out some of the extra cold-weather gear for him, will you."

"Right. C'mon, Mr. Skinner, I'll get you all set up."

"Call me Bubba. Mister makes me feel old."

Izzy grinned. "Great, Bubba! Let's go, before Matt changes his mind."

An hour later, the pair returned. They stomped their feet on the porch before coming in the door. Bubba headed straight for the huge fireplace, earning an amused look from Matt, who had settled behind the radio desk after taking several calls while Izzy was out.

Bubba noticed, of course, and grimaced. "Colder than an ice cube at the North Pole out there," he drawled. "How do y'all work in those conditions?"

"About the same way you work in ninety-eight degree heat in July, I'd imagine. You're born to it or you just get used to it."

Bubba rubbed his hands together, accepting a hot cup of coffee from Izzy, holding it between both hands to warm them up. "Laura said it's even colder up by your Daddy's place. Can't imagine livin' all winter in this kinda cold. I'd be losin' body parts."

"Once you get on a rescue, you forget all about the cold, trust me." He was interrupted as the radio squawk behind him.

_"High Mountain Rangers, this is Squaw Valley Ski Patrol, you copy?"_

Matt reached behind him for the microphone. "Squaw, this is Rangers. Hank, that you?"

_"Hey, Matt. Could use your assist with some missing cross-country skiers."_

"Staging?"

_"Rocky Point, north side."_

"Copy. ETA thirty."

_"Copy, will radio further while enroute and notify if we get an updated location. Squaw Valley, out."_

"Rangers, out." Matt hung up the mic, taking his jacket and backpack from Cutler.

"Frank is getting the bird up, Hart is doing radio checks, Robin is double-checking her pack."

Matt nodded. "Bubba, your choice, on the ground, or a second pair of eyes in the chopper."

"I think I'll stay on the ground. It's what I came for."

"It'll be cold down here," Matt offered with a grin, donning his coat before slinging the backpack over a shoulder.

"I think I'll live."

Matt gestured to Cutler, who ran out the door to join Avila. Matt explained as he and Skinner walked outside. "We always have someone in the air with Frank whenever possible, as an observer. We rotate, so everyone keeps familiar. Except for Robin, she gets motion sickness when the chopper has to fly the grid patterns. And we really don't need a sick paramedic trying to treat our patients," he said with a grin.

By that time, they'd joined the others by the snowmobiles. "You'll be using Jimmy's ride," Matt continued. Hart handed each man a radio and harness, showing Skinner how to slip into the harness, then sliding the radio inside so that it rested against his chest, snapping it closed so it wouldn't fall out, then handing him the attached earpiece, which Bubba slipped into his right ear.

Matt put on his radio harness, then slid the backpack over his shoulders, tightening the straps.

"Code name, Matt?" Hart asked, pointing to Skinner.

Matt sat down and started up his snowmobile, looking thoughtfully at Bubba. "How about 'Country'?"

Bubba raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Long as ya don't follow it with 'bumpkin' I'm fine with that!" he said, climbing onto to another snowmobile, with Flash painted underneath the lightning bolt design, kicking over the engine and giving a rebel yell, causing the others to laugh at his enthusiasm.

Since it was just as quick to travel overland to Rocky Point, and knowing that it would be pointless to bring their trucks, all of the ground search Rangers would be on the snowmobiles. With Matt in the lead, Bubba right behind him, followed by Robin, then Hart bringing up the rear, they headed out for the thirty-minute trip to Rocky Point. As they turned west, Avila lifted off, flying low over their heads as he gained altitude.

Half an hour later, Matt crested the hill, then slid to a stop next to a pair of Ski Patrollers in a Sno-Cat. He turned off his 'mobile, then trekked through the deep snow over to the two patrollers who were searching the ground. "Anything new, Joey?" he asked loudly over the idling engines of the 'Cat and the other snowmobiles.

Joe Garner and Mike Ciprio were both experienced ski patrol members. Joe had been at Squaw Valley for ten years, Ciprio going on eight. Matt was grateful they hadn't sent any of the rookies.

"We found two sets of double tracks. Not sure which ones belong to our missing skiers. Thought you could take a look." The taller of the two men pointed left to some tracks that led into the forest, and then forward, around the three large boulders that teetered over the sheer cliff drop-off, that gave the location its name.

Matt headed over to take a look at both sets of tracks, calling behind him. "What's the time frame?"

"Friends last saw them last night. They wanted to get an early start this morning, so set out just at dawn. They planned to be gone for four hours. When they didn't meet the friends as planned for lunch, they tried to call their cellphones. But you know how the reception is up in this area. I think those tracks on the left are older than that, but you're the expert."

"You try to call them since you got here?"

"Yeah, it rang. No answer."

"You're right, Joe, this set is at least a day old," Matt said, pointing to the tracks heading to the left. "So, we'll head this way. Hart, let Frank know." He watched Tim turn away from the others in order to call Avila and Cutler. "What kind of experience do they have?" he asked Joe as he rejoined the others.

"One is a novice, the other is well-versed in cold weather survival. Friends said they're well equipped, including GPS locator, but no remote tracker. So if they can get cell reception, they should be able to at least tell us their lat/long," he said, indicating latitude and longitude.

"But of course, if they're hurt, or the cellphone got damaged somehow, no contact," Matt opined.

"Exactly."

"Okay, we'll track center and to both sides." He glanced at the trailer that was attached to the back of the Sno-Cat. "You'll be joining us, I see?"

"Yep. You've got lead, Matt. I'm guessing you'll be taking center track? Where do you want us?"

Matt turned back around and stared at the tracks, envisioning the lay of the land in that direction. "Actually, I think I'll have you take center track. Bubba and I will go right, Hart and Robin left." He faced the others, who were waiting for further instructions. "I have a bad feeling that we're not gonna find out that they just got lost. If the tracks start to veer in any direction, let everyone know. We'll stay on channel two. Avila's in the air, so if you spot something you need him for, radio him directly."

They all nodded their acknowledgment. "About five miles in, there's a deep gully. It might appear to someone who's not real familiar with the area that it's flat across, but it could swallow them up." He squatted down and drew a diagram in the snow, showing them how he wanted them to approach the area. "Let's hit it."

Joe and Mike moved to get their snowmobiles unloaded, then they headed out, keeping to a steady pace and course. The Rangers split up to cover the areas on either side of the Patrollers' track.

And hour later, Matt's radio crackled. "Flying Tiger, we've spotted them, but we can't get to them over that gully." Matt came to a stop, Bubba doing the same beside him. Pulling the topographic map from inside his jacket, Matt replied.

"What's the coordinates, Black Magic?"

Matt located the spot on his map and then contacted the ski patrollers. "Joey, you should be close enough to lend assistance."

"Copy that, Matt. We can be there in ten."

"Copy. Frostbite, what about injuries? Do you need White Eagle to land?"

"Negative, Flying Tiger. One of the skiers appears to have a broken arm, but they're both on their feet. They should be fine going down by snowmobile. We can bring them back to the Sno-Cat and decide whether they go with us to Tahoe, or make their own arrangements to get to town."

"Copy that, White Eagle copy?"

"Copy, Flying Tiger. We'll head back to base after refueling."

"Roger. Black Magic, can you stand by where you are and direct Joe and Mike in?"

"Copy that, Matt. We're good here. See at home."

Matt folded up the map and tucked it back inside his jacket. "Well, you ready to head back down to base?" he asked Bubba.

"You don't need to stick around to wait for them to come back?"

"No, they know what to do. We're actually not that far from base here, we'll take the back way and come in from the other side."

Bubba shook his head. "How the hell do you keep track of where you are in all this whiteness?"

"I was born and raised up here. I know these mountains like the back of my hand, probably better than anybody I know, except maybe my brother, Cody."

"Will I get to meet your folks while I'm here?" Bubba asked. "I've heard a lot about both of them from Laura."

"Actually, they have plans to come down this weekend, if they can. The weather that high up is really unpredictable this time of year."

"I can't imagine living like that. I need my creature comforts...like heat."

Matt laughed. "Believe me, they stay plenty warm. Dad's cabin isn't really all that big and the fireplace heats it up pretty well. He keeps pretty much a continuous fire in the thing throughout the winter. I was just up there over the holiday. I towed a snowmobile up there for them."

"It's a lot of work living up here, isn't it?"

"It can be, but look around you." Bubba took a gander at the beautiful scenery. "It's worth it." Matt reached for the ignition, firing up his snowmobile. Bubba followed suit and the two men headed back to Ranger Headquarters.

/

Later that afternoon, the Rangers got called out to assist with a vehicle over an embankment. The fire department was on scene, treating several injuries after a multi-car collision and requested the Rangers' assistance. Bubba rode with Matt in his Blazer, which led the way for the large RV-like Emergency Response vehicle that held all of the Rangers' equipment and mobile command center.

Once on scene, Matt assessed the situation with the Fire Captain and the Fire Rescue personnel. They determined the best course to reach the vehicle, which had fallen approximately one hundred feet down a steep embankment. No one was sure how many people were in the SUV besides the driver.

Since Bubba had no climbing experience, he'd be staying up top with Frank and Hart, handling the ropes and other equipment, while Matt, Robin, Cutler and Mark Gibbs, a Fire Department Paramedic with climbing experience, would repel down to the vehicle. Frank, Tim and Bubba, with an assist from the Fire Department, readied the two Stokes baskets that the Rangers carried, plus another pair that the FD carried, just in case they had multiple victims.

It was a long, careful trek down to the vehicle. Matt was the first to arrive and he quickly unhooked the rope from his harness and stepped over to the vehicle, which was on its side against a tree, driver's door to the sky. He carefully climbed on top of the vehicle and looked inside. He could see a male and a female, both ungracefully slumped against the passenger door.

"Two victims in the front seat," he called down. "Both appear unconscious. And I can hear crying in the back seat, sounds like at least one child." He reached through the shattered window to unlock the door, then carefully opened the door and pushed it back as the Fire Department paramedic carefully joined him on top the car. The car rocked slightly as the paramedic lowered himself into the vehicle. Matt stayed up top to give Gibbs the room to maneuver.

As Robin approached, Matt shook his head. "Hold off, Robin. It's too unstable at the moment. You and Cutler see if you can get the back hatch open, try and get to the kid. But be careful, don't yank on it too hard. That tree is about the only thing keeping this baby from rolling further down the slope."

"Matt, both of these victims are still alive," Mark called up. "I'm gonna need C-collars for both and backboards." Matt nodded and reached for his radio, not moving from the spot where he was kneeling on the side of the vehicle looking down inside.

"Flying Tiger to Black Magic."

"Go Flying Tiger."

"We have at least three confirmed victims, two adults and at least one child, all still alive. We need C-collars and backboards. Still checking the rest of the vehicle. Be advised, it's unstable, so we're having to go very slow."

"Copy Flying Tiger. Two stokes on the way down with requested equipment."

Matt glanced up and saw the equipment slowly making its way down the steep hill. He was just about to climb down when Cutler moved into his vision. "I got 'em, Matt. The rear hatch is stuck, we'll have to go in either from the door you're at or the slider you're crouched on."

"I'll have Mark check on other victims. I can't see in the passenger window, the tint is too dark."

He looked down and saw the paramedic slip cautiously between the front seats into the rear of the vehicle. Less than a minute later, Mark called out. "Matt, we have three more victims in the back, all children. Appears to be one about seven-years, one about three or four, and an infant. All are alive, however only one is conscious, the toddler. The older child and the infant are both unconscious. The approximately seven-year-old has a large cut on the forehead and a broken leg. Would be helpful to get the Jaws down here."

"Roger," Matt replied before lifting his radio back to his mouth. "Black Magic, we have three children in the rear of the vehicle. Ages approximately seven, four and an infant. We'll need restraint gear for them all and further assistance down here. Mark is requesting the Jaws."

Once he got the acknowledgment from Hart, Matt and Robin switched places so that she could assist Gibbs with the victims, while Cutler and Hart finished get the Stokes baskets down with the rescue gear for the adults. Matt glanced up to see four Firefighters heading down the hill, with three more stokes, one of them holding the big Jaws of Life tool.

"Good thing that Jaws is gas operated," Cutler remarked. "They'd never get an extension cord long enough to reach." Matt nodded silently as they started to unlash the equipment from the first Stokes and hand it up to Mark.

It took nearly an hour to get all six victims out of the vehicle and up the hill. Matt and Cutler stayed below to keep the ropes stabilized from below as the two paramedics headed up the hill with the last of their victims. The kids had been removed first and were already at the hospital. From everything Robin and Mark had said, it appeared that while they all had substantial injuries, only the infant's appeared to be life-threatening, as she appeared to have some internal bleeding and a possible intracranial injury. Robin opted to ride along with her to assist in any treatment.

Once all the victims, the paramedics and the firefighters were all topside, Matt and Cutler started up the hill after making a last check to gather up any leftover equipment. Cutler headed up first, Matt bringing up the rear, making sure he was the last up, as always.

As they climbed, no one up top noticed that Matt's line had gotten snagged on a sharp rock a few inches below the edge, and every step he took was fraying the rope.

Bubba had been watching the Rangers and Firefighters perform the rescue of the family of five. He helped pull the victims up the hill and carried them to the waiting ambulances. He moved back to the edge of the road and watched as Cutler and Matt climbed, reeling in the rope as they ascended.

He reached down a hand as Jimmy came over the top, grasping the Ranger's hand and helping him up over the top. Then they both turned to watch Matt traverse the final twenty feet. Just as Matt reached a hand up to grasp Bubba's, he shifted his weight, which caused the final strands of the rope to split. All three men realized what was happening in the same split second, as Matt started to slip backwards.

/


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER 5_**

_Bubba had been watching the Rangers and Firefighters perform the rescue of the family of six. He helped pull the victims up the hill and carried them to the waiting ambulances. He moved back to the edge of the road and watched as Cutler and Matt climbed, reeling in the rope as they ascended. _

_He reached down a hand as Jimmy came over the top, grasping the Ranger's hand and helping him up over the top. Then they both turned to watch Matt traverse the final twenty feet. Just as Matt reached a hand up to grasp Bubba's, he shifted his weight, which caused the final strands of the rope to split. All three men realized what was happening in the same split second, as Matt started to slip backwards. _

Bubba leapt forward and wrapped his hand around Matt's left wrist, but lost his footing and fell, almost losing his grip as he slammed onto the ground. Matt slammed against the rock face, grunting from the impact, further causing Bubba's hold on him to falter.

.

"Matt!" Cutler yelled, getting the attention of the others still loitering in the area. He dropped down next to Bubba and reached out, managing to get a hold on Matt's harness just as Bubba lost his grip. Matt slipped several more inches, until Bubba was able to also get a grip on the harness.

Cutler and Bubba pulled together, dragging the Ranger Commander up and over the top to safety. All three men collapsed, breathing heavily. Hart and Frank got there just as they got Matt to safety.

"What the hell happened?" Tim asked as he slid to his knees next to the panting trio.

"Rope...split..." Matt managed. Tim grabbed hold of the line and pulled it up, staring at the frayed end.

"Hawkes, you are one lucky, lucky man," he declared.

After taking two or three deep breaths, he nodded. "Yes, I am," he replied, simply. "Bubba, Jimmy...thanks."

"Not like it's the first time one of us saved the other, Matt," Cutler remarked as he sat up.

Bubba got to his feet. "Wouldn't do to let you drop," he drawled. "Wouldn't be very hospitable, and we Southern folk are known for our hospitality. Not to mention-that niece of mine would have killed me for letting her man take a one-way plunge down a mountain."

Still on his back, Matt looked up at Bubba. "Well, I appreciate the effort," he said, amused. He lifted both hands into the air. Avila and Hart each grasped one and helped him to his feet, Matt grunting with the effort of moving his battered body off the ground.

"You okay, buddy?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," Matt assured him. "Bubba nearly pulled my arm outta the socket though and I slammed against the rock face. Gonna be sore for a while, but it sure beats the alternative."

Hart took a glance over the edge. "Yep, it sure is a long way down," he teased, drawing out the word 'long' for emphasis. He chuckled when Matt slapped him on the shoulder. "Let's get you back to the Ranger Station, maybe we can find Laura and have her administer a bit a TLC."

Grinning, Matt turned toward their vehicles. "Now, how can I argue with that?" Suddenly remembering Bubba's relationship to Laura, he glanced over toward the big man, only to see a smirk on the man's face. He sighed, realizing that at least he wasn't about to be pushed back over the cliff by an irate uncle.

/

The next morning, Matt stepped out onto the porch of the Ranger station. The bright sun was just peaking over the horizon, the snow glistening as the light touched it. He carried a steaming cup of coffee, sipping on it occasionally as he watched Teagan chase after a rabbit that had dared to show its furry little tail. He laughed as his canine friend was thwarted, the tiny furball darting into a tiny hole in a downed tree.

He called Teagan back, allowing the rabbit the chance to get away. Heading back inside, he rinsed out his glass, then headed down the hallway. He trotted up the stairs and down the long hallway, to another, smaller and steeper stairway, his four-legged sidekick at his heels. At the top of those stairs, he opened the door and pushed, coughing as the movement unsettled the light layer of dust that covered the floor.

He turned as Teagan started sneezing, smiling as he ordered her down the steps. Flipping the light switch, he moved toward the back wall. It was darker there, the overhead light not quite reaching that far, so he pulled the small mag-lite flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. Checking the dates on the boxes, he grabbed the two boxes with the oldest dates on them and carried them over to the door. He silently thanked the organizational skills of John Harper, knowing his father would have been more likely to just dump everything in the boxes haphazardly, with no regard for order.

Amazing, considering Jesse was a former Marine, who were all about order and following rules. But his father _was_ a prolific note-taker and Matt hoped to find some of his early jottings of his thoughts while he was forming the Rangers. Jesse often told 'war stories' about the problems and issues that came up while putting the first team together. He'd laugh about the shoestring budget they'd had to deal with back then, when the Rangers all supplied their own gear and often borrowed radios from the Sheriff's Office and scrounged for parts to fix their vehicles.

As he dropped the boxes by the door, he heard a voice. "Hey, girl, what are you doing down here?" That was followed by, "Hey, Matt, you up there?"

"Yeah, Izzy. Give me a hand." The tall Ranger moved up the steps. "Take these downstairs. Then grab that big tarp out of the cabinet and lay it on the floor next to the fireplace. We'll stack the boxes on it to keep the floor clean."

"Cleaning house?" Izzy teased.

"Actually, more like a history lesson." Matt's voice was muffled as he returned to the boxes and pulled down two more, moving them to the door as well. Soon, he had all the boxes stacked up by the attic door. Izzy had been joined by Cutler and Hart, and the three men were ferrying the boxes downstairs, all of them curious about what they held.

Once all the boxes were on the tarp on the floor of the great room, Matt grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and handed them to Izzy. "Print neatly," he ordered, before plopping himself down on the tarp and pulling the oldest box to him and lifting off the lid. Teagan lay down beside her human, which set off a sneezing fit as he dropped the lid down onto the tarp.

"Matt, what exactly am I writing here?"

"We're gonna inventory these boxes. I want you to note the date of each box and what's inside."

"Why?" Hart asked.

Matt had started to reach inside the first box, but stopped and looked at the Rangers around him, just as Robin and Frank Avila walked in the front door and wandered over to see what was going on. He smiled. "This, boys and girl, is the history of the High Mountain Rangers. From the very beginning," he said, lightly tapping the box in front of him, setting off another round of flying dust. Coughing, he waved his hand in front of his face, as Teagan grunted and moved further away.

"But, what are we gonna do with it?" Robin asked, keeping far away from the dusty boxes, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"We are going to document the creation and the ongoing history of this unit."

He reached back into the box and started pulling out everything inside, oblivious to the odd looks being sent his way. A stack of folders and manila envelopes went into one pile; old pieces of equipment went into another. Photographs, letters, and even pieces of notepaper filled with notes and doodles, went into another pile.

He handed the equipment to Avila. "See if you can figure out what all of that stuff is." Handing the photos to Cutler, he gave further instructions. "Make a list of the photographs, who's in them and the dates. Some might not be marked, but between you, me and Frank, we should be able to identify most of the people in the photos, since we were all raised around here and probably knew all of the early Rangers."

The stack of folders and envelopes, he handed to Robin and Hart. "Read them, see what's there." Hart took half of the pile, giving the other half to Robin, who just stared at the old papers in her hand.

"Matt, what is going on?" she whined.

Matt froze while reaching for another box, looking up to find all of his Rangers staring at him, confused looks on all their faces. He smiled, then started laughing. "Sorry, got a bit carried away." He waved his hand at the boxes stacked around him. "These boxes contain a lot of High Mountain Rangers history. Files, letters, photos, equipment. It's all here. I want to document it, see what's important, see what's trash."

"Why?"

In answer, Matt jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the big space to the left of the fireplace. "I want to get a cabinet or case, display some of this stuff. Maybe get some of the old photos framed and hang them on the wall. Show off our legacy. We get a lot of visitors who don't know a lot about what we do or how we got started. I want to show them."

As the others asked more questions about Matt's vision, Izzy sat back, putting pen to paper. Five minutes later, he held the pad out to Matt. "This what you have in mind?" he asked.

Matt frowned, but took the pad. His face lit up. "Izzy, this is perfect!" Matt moved to sit next to his youngest Ranger. On the pad, Izzy had sketched a buffet style cabinet, with long pull-out drawers, and three shelves above. It was just the kind of thing that Matt was thinking of. "I don't suppose you do woodworking?"

Izzy grinned. "You find me a place to work and I can have it done in a month or two if we don't get really busy."

"You have hidden talents. I don't remember seeing that on your resume," Matt remarked.

Izzy shrugged. "Not much call for it."

"On the contrary," Jimmy interjected. "There are numerous odd jobs to be done around the station. Maybe you could even talk Matt into a raise to go along with your extra skills."

"Oh heck no," Matt insisted. "But I will pay for the wood. Maybe look into purchasing a saw. I'll take a look at our requisition list, see where I might be able to squeeze a few extra bucks." Turning to Izzy, he said, "Maybe you could check around, see what the cost would be for what you need."

"How about two hundred dollars for gas, and the use of one of the Blazers for a week." When Matt raised a questioning eyebrow, he continued. "I have all the tools I need at my folk's house in Idaho. Just need to go get it."

"Your dad won't mind you taking it?"

"Heck no, he doesn't use it, so it's just taking up space in the garage. He'll be happy to get it out of there. He keeps threatening to sell it all."

Matt grinned and looked around at the others. "You guys think you can hold down the fort while Izzy and I take a road trip?"

Hart looked at the others. "I think we can handle that. If we need assistance, we can call the Sheriff."

"We'll leave tomorrow morning then," Matt told Izzy, slapping Izzy on the shoulder. "You think the shed will be big enough to store everything?"

"Should be," Izzy replied with a nod.

"Good. Tim, while we're gone, you guys can clean that out, get it ready for Izzy to set up a workshop."

"Cool," Izzy grinned. "I can't wait to get started. It's been awhile."

/

**_June -Father's Day_**

Matt got into the station early that Sunday morning, wanting to make sure everything was finished before his dad and Cody got there. Izzy had done some great work on the display cabinet. The heavy oak case fit perfectly beside the fireplace, filling up the six-foot space. The bottom portion was a buffet-style cabinet. It had two shallow drawers with glass tops, so that when you pull out the drawers, the items displayed could be easily viewed, but preserved as well. The bottom portion of the cabinet was secured storage.

On the top of that portion of the cabinet, two slanted display case sat at each end, with space in between that held several photos albums. Above the cabinet were three shelves, each of a different depth, with the narrowest shelf at the top. Each of the two bottom shelves had a couple of glass-front niches, plus some smaller mini-shelves for artifacts. It was truly a work of art, as Izzy had added decorative touches like pine trees, animal figures and in a larger center area of the center shelf, a carved version of the current High Mountain Rangers logo.

Robin had taken up the task of going through all the old official documents, including the copies of the letters from Jesse to the officials in Washington, D.C, and the official authorization from the Department of Justice giving the Rangers full arrest and enforcement authority. Those had been hung on the wall, in frames also built by Izzy, from wood left over from the cabinet build. Others had been interspersed in the photo albums, along with letters from some of the victims they'd rescued, thanking the Rangers for the work they did.

Frank and Cutler, with input from Matt, had selected a dozen photos from the hundreds found in the boxes, which were also framed and hung on the wall adjacent to the display cabinet. Two of them held a special place of honor. Photos of Earl Jones and Merlin Pierce hung side by side in the center of all the others, the frames slightly larger, with nice plaques underneath explaining how they'd died. Interspersed around and between the wall of photos were old style skis and snowshoes, and some of the other larger pieces of out-of-date equipment.

All the other pictures had been either placed in one of the photo albums on top of the cabinet, or placed in a photo box, and put in the storage area underneath the cabinet. There had been only a couple of people that Matt, Jim and Frank couldn't identify, but Cutler's Uncle Jack was able to fill in the blanks.

The others had been surprised that Jack Cutler had been a High Mountain Ranger-for all of about three weeks. But he was in some of the pictures during the third year the Rangers had been in operation, before the man had decided that he'd rather be a firefighter, stating once that it seemed a less dangerous occupation!

They had made a list of all the photos, tried to date the few that had no dates marked on them, noting who was in the photos and if possible, where the photo was taken. Tim Hart had also taken all the photos to a local photo shop and had them all copied and downloaded onto a computer disc, then created a computer file to keep them all in. He would add any new photos to that file.

The last major item that had been added to the display hadn't been found in any of the boxes. Matt had long been aware of its existence, but needed to secretly remove it from his father's cabin. For that, he'd enlisted Cody's help, and his younger brother had been able to get the item to him last week. Now, his father's Ranger parka, complete with hand-sewn patch on the left front, hung in a frame above the fireplace.

Matt dropped down onto the sofa, Teagan lying down beside him with her head on his thigh. Absentmindedly, he scratched her ear as he took in the changes to the room. This place had always been important to him, a second home since he'd been a kid and spent time here with his father, and his father's Ranger teams.

Now...now the ghosts of those early Rangers were in the room...in a good way. He saw the faces of those men...and a couple women...and felt a camaraderie with them that he'd never felt before. He knew that, without them, without his father's vision, he wouldn't be here today. He'd likely be bored stiff in some law office, rather than doing a job that he loved, in a place that he treasured.

He looked down at Teagan as she dozed against him. "We sure are lucky, girl," he whispered. "We sure are lucky."

"It sure turned out nice, didn't it?" Matt turned as Cutler came further into the room.

"Yeah. You guys did a great job. I think dad will like it."

"Are you kidding? He'll love it!"

The others tromped in through the door, laughing and joking with each other. Izzy dropped his radio onto the desk and hurried over to sit on the sofa across from Matt and Teagan. "So when is your dad gonna get here?" he asked.

"About noon. They have a Father's Day tradition of going fishing at some little place they found when Cody was seven. He got lost the day before Father's Day and dad found him curled up in a cave near this tiny lake. Cody had started a fire and gathered some leaves to use for a bed, and had a fishing line all ready to catch dinner."

"He was self-sufficient even at that young age?" Robin asked, amazed.

"Oh, yeah," Matt said with a grin. "Anyway, when dad found him, he told Cody that it was the best gift he ever got on Father's Day, knowing that Cody was safe. They decided to stay the night. The next morning, they went fishing again, cooked the fish for breakfast, and then came home. It kind of became a tradition for the two of them to go out the night before and camp out somewhere, fish for their breakfast, then come back home."

"Do you have any Matt-and-Jesse traditions?" Izzy asked.

"Yeah, a couple," he replied, although he didn't elaborate. "Cody generally gets his mornings, and I get his afternoons, then we all get together in the evening to play some board game or a game of poker or something. Dad's choice what we do all day."

"That's cool," Izzy said.

"Yeah. Only time we haven't been able to get together like that was the year Mom died. Wasn't sure we ever would again after that. But last year, Dad made a point to get back to it. He said he missed it and he knew that once Cody and I married and started having kids of our own, it would probably never happen again."

"I bet it does," Robin said, "and you just add the kids to the mix."

Matt glanced her way and nodded. "We're gonna try. Cody and I vowed to ourselves that we would do our best to keep at least part of the traditions alive, even if we couldn't manage all of it."

"So was it hard for you to convince your dad to come down to town this year?" Cutler asked.

"No, not really. The traditions that he and I have can be done anywhere." He stopped as he noticed a frown on Avila's face. "Frank, something wrong?"

The others looked up, to see Avila staring at the new cabinet. "It's lopsided."

Izzy jumped up and moved to stand next to Frank. "What do mean, it's lopsided!?" he asked, taking offense. "It's perfectly level."

Frank turned a shocked face to Izzy, not understanding at first, then smiled. "Sorry, Iz, not the cabinet, the room."

"Say what?"

"It looks...off balance, now. With the great cabinet and shelves on one side," he said waving his arm at the left side of the fireplace, "and...well...a bunch of empty space over there," he added, pointing to the right side. The others stood up and moved to stand next to the two Rangers and one by one, nodded their agreement.

"You're right, it looks weird," Hart said.

"We need something over on the other side too," Robin concurred.

Matt, the only one who'd stayed seated, not wanting to disturb Teagan, didn't bother looking up. "So, we have Izzy build another cabinet for the other side," he said, simply.

Izzy's face lit up. "I can do that!"

Matt shrugged. "Problem solved."

Cutler laughed. "I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks!" he declared.

"On to the next issue," Matt said, the others alert in anticipation. "Who has breakfast duty?"

They all turned to look at Robin, who frowned and trudged off to the kitchen. "Something more than pancakes, this time, Sweetcheeks," Jimmy yelled after her.

"I'm gonna lace your eggs with laxatives," she replied.

He jumped up and ran after her, frantic. "Say, Robin, could you use a hand? I could scramble those eggs for you. No need to dirty those pretty little hands..." his voice faded as he left the room, laughter following him out.

/

"Matt! Jesse and Cody are here!" Izzy called. The Commander walked out of his office and nodded to the others, who hurried over to stand in front of the display cabinet. They didn't hide it completely, since it stood about seven feet tall, but they did their best.

Matt met his dad and brother at the door, nearly getting tripped up by Dingy as the dog raced inside to play with his new best friend, Teagan, the two dogs tearing around the room chasing each other. Matt hugged Cody, even as he watched his father, whose eyes immediately noticed the changes to the room, and the odd behavior of Matt's team on the other side of the room. His eyes stayed on the group for several long seconds, before he looked around and noticed the new addition above the fireplace.

"Is that my jacket?" he asked, walking over the get a closer look. Not taking his eyes of the item of clothing that had been such a major part of his life. "Mathew, something you want to tell me?"

Matt and Cody approached their father. "Actually, Dad, something we want to show you," Matt said. "We've been sorting through all the boxes in the attic and realized that there was a lot of history in those boxes. And we didn't think that being stuffed in boxes in a dusty old attic did that history justice. We, all of us, are very proud of the job we do, and the people who came before us. Proud of you and everything you've done."

Jesse turned to face his son, never taking his eyes from Matt's, as the big blond continued. "So, we decided to pull all those relics out of mothballs, and put them out here for everyone to see and appreciate. We want people to know about the men and women who came before us, who led the way for us to become what we are." He nodded to the others, who stepped aside and allowed Jesse his first look at the display.

The dark wood had been polished to almost a satin finish and the glass inserts sparkled under the sunlight that streamed in through the large windows on the opposite wall. Jesse's eyes darted here and there, trying to take in everything at once.

Speechless, he walked over to the cabinet, his hand reaching out to run along the smooth wood, eyes resting briefly on each photo, knickknack and item displayed on the shelves. He wandered over to the wall of photos, stopping in front of the picture of his long deceased Ranger.

"Jonesy," he whispered, reaching a hand up and tracing the man's name on the plaque below the photo.

"Son," his voice faltered. "This..."

Matt walked up behind his father, having heard the crack in Jesse's voice. "Dad?" he asked, somewhat cautiously. He noticed his father hand trembling slightly as he dropped it back down to his side. He thought he knew what his father was thinking and leaned in close. "Izzy does great work, huh?" he asked.

"It's...it's beautiful." He turned around, his eyes glistening. "Son...Mathew...this is wonderful. Amazing. Thank you. Thank all of you," he said, clearing his throat. Cody walked up next to his dad, and Jesse reached out and wrapped on arm around his waist, pulling him close. With the other hand, he pulled Matt to him, slipped his arm around Matt's neck and pulled him close.

"Thank you. This is the best gift you have ever given me, aside from your continued presence in my life." After a minute he released them both, wiping a hand across his eyes. "It's right that you know the history of the men and women who paved the way for you. But to see it like this, to give it such a place of honor. I'm overwhelmed."

The others exchanged huge grins. "We thought it was appropriate to do this on Father's Day, since in a way you're a father to all of us Rangers, as our founder," Frank said from where he stood in front of the fireplace.

"We're gonna put another cabinet, just like this one, on the other side," Izzy mentioned.

Jesse eyed the cabinet again, then turned his eyes to Izzy. "You did this?" he asked. When Izzy nodded, Jesse just shook his head, once again running his hand over the wood, his fingers tracing the ornate carvings. "Fine craftsmanship, Izzy. It's beautiful."

Izzy's face lit up at the praise. "I love to work with wood," he said. "And now that I have all my tools here, I can do more. My next project is to repair those two desks," he pointed to the two dilapidated work desks near the front door.

"What? You don't like the nearly hundred year old hand-me-downs?" Avila asked. The others laughed, as the condition of those desks was a running joke, ever since Frank had leaned against one several months before and the leg fell off it, landing him on his rear end. They'd been re-painted so many times, Hart figured the only thing still holding them together was the multiple layers of paint.

"Probably do better to burn those and build new ones," Cutler remarked.

"I can do that!" Izzy said. He hurried over to the desk and pulled a pad of paper and pencil from the desk and started sketching. The others laughed.

"He'll be occupied for a while," Matt commented, before turning back to his father. "There is one more surprise," he said, handing his father a copy of the local Tahoe newspaper. Jesse opened it up to see the headline:

High Mountain Rangers: 25 years of saving lives

Tahoe institution celebrates anniversary

"We've decided that for our open house this year in August, we'd like to see if we can get a reunion of as many of the old Rangers as we can find," Matt told his father. "We've been checking around and have managed to locate addresses for most of them."

"Invitations went out at the end of May," Hart put in. "We've already heard back from ten of them, giving us their RSVP's."

Jesse grinned and started laughing. He nodded. "I think that's a great idea, son. It will be good to see them again. Now, tell me who all is coming and who you couldn't find, maybe I can help," he said as he moved over to sit down.

The Rangers all gathered around and started telling Jesse of their plans. Well, all except for Izzy, who was still sketching plans for his next woodworking project.

/

Summer tourist season was in full swing, so Matt had been trying to give each of his team some time off, staggering their days off during the week, so that all hands were available on the busier weekend days.

Matt finally decided to take a couple of days for himself. Early that next morning, he saddled up his horse and headed out, faithfully followed by Teagan, who would run ahead, then dart into the woods, before coming back to join Matt again. The sun was just coming over the trees when Matt crested the hill. He slid down off his horse as Teagan ran up to his side. He slid his gloves into his pocket and pulled out an apple for himself and a bag of treats for Teagan.

They rested for just a short time before getting back on the trail. He had spent the morning getting some chores done around his place before he headed up to his father's for a short visit and wanted to get their before lunch. Removing his gloves from his pocket and sliding them on his hands, he called out to his canine companion. "Let's go, girl. We have a long way to ride."

Thirty minutes later Matt heard a shot. He reigned in, glancing around, trying to determine where shot came from. When he heard another shot he kicked his horse into a gallop. Thirty seconds later he was on the ground, pain searing through his shoulder. He blinked, staring up at the sky, not quite sure what had just happened. Lifting a hand up to shoulder, he felt the sticky wetness. Pulling his fingers back, he saw blood.


	6. Chapter 6

**_CHAPTER 6_**

He hadn't realized he closed his eyes until he heard laughter. Looking up he saw two men standing over him one holding a rifle.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The speaker was not a very tall man, but he was muscular and looked like he could fight a grizzly bear all of his own. "Say hello to Matthew Hawkes, Commander of the High Mountain Rangers. All by yourself this morning, Commander Hawkes?" he said with a sneer.

"So this is the asshole that put you in jail?" the other man asked.

"Yeah, but looks like he's the one that gets the death sentence this time," the man said with a laugh.

"Michael Davis," Matt whispered, the pain obvious in his voice. "How the hell did you get out of jail?"

"It's called being smart and taking advantage of an opportunity when it arises," Davis said. "I'm surprised to see you out here all on your own, Hawkes. Usually you Rangers travel in packs, like wolves."

The quiet in the clearing was shattered by a growling that came from behind the two standing men. They spun around, Davis raising the rifle, but he was too late to prevent the teeth from clamping onto his arm. He screamed and dropped the rifle. His buddy, whose name Matt didn't know, took a couple of steps back then came forward again, kicking Teagan in the side.

Teagan yelped and released Davis' arm. The injured man clutched the injured arm to his chest and snarled, kicking out of the dog and connecting with her head.

"Teagan, come," Matt called. Matt reached out grabbing the rifle that had fallen to the ground as Teagan crawled over to lie beside him. Painfully, he sat up, raising the rifle and pointing it at the two men. Davis was helped from the ground by his friend and the two men moved away, not willing to take on an armed Matt Hawkes, even injured.

"Come on, Mike. He'll bleed to death before anyone finds him," Davis' buddy told him with a smile.

"This ain't over, Hawkes," Davis said. "We'll meet again...if you live." Davis and his friend stumbled off, Davis dripping blood on the ground as he tripped and nearly fell. Only the fact that his buddy had hold of him, prevented him from falling.

His arms suddenly exhausted from holding the rifle up, Matt allowed it to drop softly to the earth, as he sighed and laid his head back down on the ground. Teagan stood up and limped over next to Matt, leaning down beside him and placing her head on his chest. Laying his hand across her head, he was too tired to even pet her. Man and beast lay there for several minutes both breathing through the pain they were experiencing.

When Matt moved to sit up Teagan whined. "It's okay, girl," Matt assured her. "We need to get out of here in case they come back." Steeling himself for the pain, he slowly got to his feet and looked around, grateful to see his horse standing nearby. He threw a quiet thank you into the sky as he staggered over to Shadow, his right hand pressed against his injured left shoulder.

He reached into his saddlebags then pulled out a towel he kept in the bottom. Unzipping the top of his jacket he gently slid the towel against the wound. He hissed as that re-ignited the pain but he knew it had to be done. He leaned his forehead against the saddle, giving himself a moment, before he attempted to mount up.

He raised his head back up and glanced around. Teagan was standing next to him, favoring her rear leg. "You okay, girl?" he asked, knowing that Davis' buddy had gotten a hard kick in. The dog licked his hand, as if reassuring him that she was fine. Looking around, Matt gauged where he was.

"I think it'll be closer to try to get to Dad's," he spoke out loud. "Let's try for the cabin, okay?" He reached up with one arm, painfully, and with difficulty, pulled himself into the saddle. "Teagan, I hope you can walk okay, cuz I sure can't lift you this time."

As if to prove that she was fine, the dog set off in the lead, still limping slightly. Matt gave a soft kick, putting his horse into motion. It was about ten miles to his dad's cabin, but the way his vision was blurring in and out, he just hoped he would be able to make it there.

He estimated he was about a mile away from his father's cabin, when he finally couldn't hold on any longer. His vision narrowed and finally went black as he slowly slid sideways and dropped hard to the ground. Shadow sidestepped, moving a few feet away. Teagan ran back to her human, and began licking his face, whining when Matt barely stirred. After several minutes of attention, Matt slowly opened his eyes.

"Teagan," he ordered in a whispered, "find Cody. Go get Cody, girl." He weakly pushed the dog away. "Get Cody."

Teagan briefly walked away, then turned back, reluctant to leave her injured human. "Go, girl. Get Cody," Matt breathed out before laying his head back down, hoping to stave off unconsciousness.

Teagan whimpered again, before taking off to follow Matt's last order. She had been to the cabin on several occasions over the last month. Matt had made a game of it recently, sending Teagan to the cabin ahead of him, with an order to 'find Cody' or 'find Dad'. The dog had recently been able to get there unerringly, often bringing Cody out to meet Matt part way. He hoped the dog remembered the lessons, he thought as darkness finally took him away.

/

Cody was chopping wood, hoping to get a good supply stocked before nightfall. He brought down the ax, splitting a log in two, then standing up one half of the log to split again. He'd just finished splitting the second half when he heard barking from the woods.

He smiled. Sounded like Teagan. Matt had told them he'd try to make it up today, but hadn't been sure he'd be there before noon. Dingy ran off the porch, heading toward his new friend, barking a greeting. But it quickly became apparent that something was wrong as Teagan refused to play with Dingy and just continued to bark and run back and forth to the woods. She finally ran up to Cody, grabbed his jeans leg in her teeth and began pulling.

"Easy, girl, hold up. Dad!" He ran toward the cabin, pushing open the door and placing the ax down, and yelling out again. "DAD!"

"Cody, what are you bellowing about?" Jesse said, coming out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.

"Teagan's here. She's acting funny, Dad, keeps barking, and tried to drag me toward the woods."

That was unusual. Jesse could hear the dog and as he walked outside, she latched onto his sleeve, attempting to pull him with her toward the woods.

"Cody, saddle the horses. Quickly now. I'll grab the first aid kit."

"You think something happened to Matt?" Cody asked, worried.

"Let's go find out. The horses, Cody, now!"

Cody raced off the porch, making quick work of getting both horses ready to go. Teagan hadn't quit barking and running around the entire time, causing Dingy to also get excited, realizing something was wrong. As soon as the two mounted, Teagan took off like a shot. Jesse and Cody were hard-pressed to keep up, but she returned periodically to make sure they were still following, Dingy racing off with her as she ran off each time.

Twenty minutes later, Jesse spurred his horse faster, seeing now what had Teagan in such a fit.

"Matt!" he cried out as he quickly slid from his saddle, grabbing the first aid kit as he did. Teagan, now having done her job, lay down next to Matt, nuzzling his face, trying to wake him up. Jesse opened Matt's coat and shirt, removing the saturated towel and tossing it aside.

Cody slid down across from him, putting a hand absentmindedly on Teagan. He felt something wet and sticky on his hand and looking down, noticed blood. "Dad?" he asked, his voice shaking, not only from seeing his brother unconscious and bleeding, but also to see blood on Matt's beloved dog.

Jesse looked up from rooting through the first aid kit. Pulling out some gauze pad, he bit out. "Check her, see if she has any injuries." He concentrated on bandaging Matt's wound, while Cody checked Teagan.

"I don't see anything," Cody said.

"It's likely Matt's blood, then." Jesse carefully turned Matt onto his side and sighed. He didn't see an exit wound, so the bullet was still in there. "Son, help me get your brother up. I'll have to hold him on my horse with me. Then, I'll need you to ride back and call the Rangers. We're gonna need Frank to bring the chopper up."

Being as careful as possible, they slowly lifted Matt up and carried him over toward a large flat rock at the edge of the clearing. Laying him down, Jesse held him while Cody brought his Dad's horse close by. They picked Matt up and hefted him onto the horse, holding him in place while Jesse mounted behind him, the well-trained mount standing still while all this activity went on. Matt didn't stir while all of this was going on, which worried Jesse even more.

Jesse found his seat, then pulled Matt against his chest, his left arm wrapping around Matt while he grabbed up the reins in his right hand. Cody ran to his horse and mounted up, calling out "I'll see you at the cabin," and raced off, Dingy right behind him. Teagan stayed beside Jesse the entire way back to the cabin. He took it slow, not wanting to jostle his injured son any more than he had to. There was no telling where the bullet was inside Matt, but Jesse didn't want it moving any more.

Cody sped to the cabin, pushing Cooper as much as possible. He jumped off the horse and rushed up the steps, slamming through the door and hurrying into his father's room.

Grabbing up the mic, he called for help. "High Mountain Rangers, This is Cody Hawkes. Repeat this is Cody Hawkes. We have an emergency! We need the chopper. Matt's hurt!" he rambled quickly.

"KLM four-zero-five, this is KLM seven-seven-niner. Cody, it's Cutler. Frank's firing up the chopper. Where is he?"

"Dad's bringing him back to the cabin."

"Do you know what happened, Cody?"

"I think he got shot!"

Back at the Ranger station, the Rangers were scrambling to gather their gear. Robin grabbed her large paramedic bag and ran out to the chopper, climbing in as Frank fired up the engines. Hart yelled, "I'll get our horses ready, Jimmy! Find out where they found him?"

Cutler nodded and got the information from Cody. "Frank's lifting off now, Cody. Robin is with him and Izzy will call the hospital and let them know that Matt's coming in." Izzy acknowledged the implied order, picking up the phone to do just that. "Where was he shot?"

"Left shoulder. It was bleeding badly and he was unconscious," Cody replied, the anxiety evident in his tone.

"Where did you find him?"

"Near Battery Creek, south side by Table Rock. His horse is still there."

"Good. Hart and I will head there and bring Shadow down," Cutler said, trying to keep his voice calm for Cody's sake, but was sure he didn't succeed completely. "Frank will be there in fifteen minutes, Cody. You hang tough. Matt's one of the strongest guys I know."

In the cabin, Cody took a deep breath and blew it out, briefly closing his eyes, opening them when he felt Dingy lean up against him. "Yeah, I know, Jimmy. I know," he said, reaching down to pet his four-legged friend.

"We'll see you and Jesse later at the hospital."

"Okay. You gonna find the guy that did this to my brother, Jimmy?" he asked, timidly.

"We'll do our best. You just concentrate on Matt. Gotta go, Code. KLM seven-seven-niner out."

Belatedly remembering radio protocol, Cody answered with the expected "KLM four-zero-five, over and out." He took a moment to take a couple of deep breaths, then grabbed a backpack to put together some extra clothes for him and his father, in case they needed to stay in town for a while.

At the station, Cutler tossed the radio mic to Izzy, who leaned back in his chair, wishing he could join the others in the search for the person who shot their Commander. He picked up the phone again, calling the Sheriff's Department and letting Mike McBride know what was going on. They might need extra personnel to assist in searching for the shooter. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office had several Deputies who had extensive training in mountain searches-not as much as the High Mountain Rangers, but enough to be useful in an all-out search in the mountains. Plus, they might need Laura Skinner and her dog.

He also contacted the Sacramento office of the FBI. Since the Rangers were a federal law enforcement agency, the FBI had nominal authority over them, although they were pretty much hands-off, letting the Rangers do their thing and only coming in when requested. It was protocol to notify them when one of the Rangers was seriously injured, and since this was a shooting, and possible attempted murder, of a federal law enforcement officer, the FBI would likely be on scene sooner rather than later, unless the suspect or suspects were found quickly by Matt's fellow Rangers.

Generally, the FBI would allow Matt to keep control of any investigation, having worked with him before. They'd come to respect the tall blond Ranger, as they had his father. But with Matt being the one injured this time, Izzy wondered if they would show Hart, as the Rangers second-in-command, the same courtesy. He hoped so, because no matter what, the Rangers weren't about to take a back seat on this one.

/

Jesse bypassed his cabin, heading straight for the large open space between the cabin and the small lake to the rear of his property. It was the usual landing zone for Avila when he needed to put down in the vicinity. Jesse knew Cody would close up the house and join him there. And he did, just as the chopper was touching down. Cody ran over to his father's side, helping him get Matt from the horse, then the two men carried him over to the idling chopper and climbed on. Both dogs tried to jump on as Robin joined them in the rear of the helicopter to start assessing her patient, but Jesse shooed them back out again. Cody slid the door shut as Frank began to ascend again, having been on the ground for less than a minute.

They lifted off, Frank radioing to Hart and Cutler, asking them to take care of Jesse and Cody's horses and both dogs as well, when they got a chance. Then he turned the big bird toward Tahoe and flew down the mountain. It would be a twenty-minute ride to town and each second counted, so Frank pushed the bird as hard as he could.

As the bird headed down, Cutler and Hart headed up, on horseback. They decided to get Matt's horse and see what they could find on scene. After that, they'd head to Jesse's place, and take care of the animals. Cutler left Zephyr behind, not wanting to contend with all three dogs.

They found the spot that Cody had identified as being where he and Jesse had found Matt. Seeing the large amount of blood on the ground, and realizing whose it was, unnerved both men. But they had a job to do. Cutler gathered up Shadow's reins and tied him up. Then he and Hart checked the area for evidence.

They walked the outer edges of the clearing first, following the training their Commander had ingrained in them over the years. It was second nature now to start at the outer edges and work in ever-smaller circles, moving in opposite directions, searching the ground for clues as they walked.

They finally met in the middle. "Well?" Hart asked.

"This doesn't look like the primary crime scene," Cutler offered. "The shooting likely occurred somewhere else, Matt was able to get away, and tried to make it to Jesse's, but didn't quite make it."

Hart nodded. "I agree. Hoof prints came from that way, which would make sense if he was heading to his Dad's from town. Let's walk that way and see what we find."

Both men grabbed up the reins of their horses, but instead of mounting up, they decide to walk the horses so they didn't miss any clues along the way. They followed the sometimes uneven tracks of Matt's horse several miles before coming to the location where the shooting had actually occurred.

They carefully searched the area, finding two sets of boot prints aside from Matt's. That meant they likely had two suspects, and judging by the size of the prints, both were adult males. They also found some blood leading in a different direction. It appeared that one of Matt's assailants was also injured. Both men silently prayed that the man was bleeding severely enough to need medical assistance. Cutler pulled out his digital camera and photographed the footprints since they weren't able to take casts of the prints and he didn't want to lose any evidence to the elements.

As Cutler gathered up the rifle that still lay on the ground where Matt had dropped it when he'd gotten up to get to his horse, Hart called the Station to have Izzy put out a B.O.L.O. to area hospitals, including Truckee, Placerville and even Sacramento, though that might be a long shot. There were also several smaller clinics in the area. And if the suspect or suspects lived in the area, they might even know where some of the local doctors lived. Cutler passed along the serial number from the rifle, knowing that Izzy would check to see if it was registered and/or listed as stolen.

They followed the tracks, and ended up near a fire service road, where they could see a vehicle had been parked recently. Since they saw no more sign of the footprints, they realized the suspects had left in a vehicle. Cutler took more photos with his digital camera while Hart looked for something he could use to cover up the tracks to preserve them as much as possible until the FBI boys got there.

They secured the rifle, went back to gather up Shadow, then headed to Jesse's cabin to get the other two horses. When they got there, the found Dingy sitting on the porch, but there was no sign of Teagan. Cody hadn't mentioned the dog being injured, but both men took a look around anyway to see if they could find any sign of the Shepherd. They didn't find her and hoped that she'd show up back in town or at Matt's house.

They checked the cabin to make sure nothing had been left on the stove, then banked the fire and closed up as they left. They gathered up the three horses, mounted their own and headed back to town, Dingy following behind them.

They were worried about their Commander and hoped he was still alive.

/


	7. Chapter 7

**_CHAPTER 7_**

_Three hours later_

Jesse paced the floor of the surgical waiting room. Matt had been in the operating room for two-and-a-half hours, heading up almost as soon as they got him into the hospital. Robin had stabilized him as best she could, but he was still in bad shape when he got to the Emergency Room. They were talking about life-flighting him to San Francisco once they got the bleeding stopped.

Just the mention of San Francisco brought up memories of the last time Matt had been so badly injured, when he'd required a trip to the Bay City's trauma unit. It had forced them to stay away from Tahoe for nearly a year. Matt, Cutler and Hart had all nearly died in the explosion that had temporarily paralyzed Matt.

It was a bad time for both his sons. And he didn't want to repeat that trauma.

"Dad." Jesse turned to find his youngest son standing up and facing the door. When Jesse looked over, he saw a scrubs-clad man standing there.

"Mathew Hawkes family?" the man asked.

"Yes. How is my son?"

"Let's sit down and I'll explain everything." As he moved, he began to talk, settling into a chair across from the waiting room sofa, continuing as Jesse and Cody sat on the sofa. "As you know, Matt took a bullet to the left shoulder. It was still in his body, and had traveled quite a distance. We finally located it in the abdomen. We were able to extract it, but it did some damage along the way, including nicking his liver."

"The liver bleeds a lot," Jesse said, remembering this little tidbit of information from when one of his own Rangers had been stabbed, the knife slicing into the liver.

"Yes. Luckily, the wound was minor, but he did lose a lot of blood, both from the damage to the liver and the initial gunshot wound. We were able to stabilize him and he is in recovery now."

"Are you still going to need to fly him to San Francisco?" Cody asked.

"You're Matt's brother?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, sir."

"No, he'll be staying here, as long as his condition doesn't deteriorate any further. His vitals are stable and relatively strong right now. We were able to give him some whole blood to replace the volume that he'd lost. We'll be keeping him in ICU once he's out of recovery. As long as he continues to improve, I think he'll be fine staying here in Tahoe."

Jesse and Cody smiled at that little bit of good news. "Do you have any questions?"

"When can we see him?" Jesse asked.

"He'll be in recovery for about an hour. If everything goes as I think it will, we'll get him settled in ICU after that and one of the nurses will come down to find you. Give us about ninety minutes. This might be a good time to maybe grab something to eat. I understand that Matt is the Commander of the High Mountain Rangers?"

"Yes, he is," Jesse said proudly.

"I'll need to call them with an update, unless you'd prefer to do that yourself."

"Actually, no need," Jesse said, gesturing with his head to a spot over the doctor's shoulder. The man turned around, seeing four very worried Rangers enter the room.

"How's Matt?" Cutler asked.

"Out of surgery, in recovery, doing as well as can be expected. And hopefully, he won't have to go to San Francisco this time," Jesse summarized succinctly.

"That's fantastic, Jesse!" Hart exclaimed.

"Have you found the man who shot him?" Jesse asked, this looked of relief replaced with anger.

"Not yet, but we do know who it was," Hart said. "FBI ran the fingerprints found on the rifle. Remember Michael Davis?"

"How the hell did that maniac get out of jail!?" Jesse nearly shouted.

"We're checking on that now. We haven't had any reports of him escaping and we should have, since he made threats to Matt and his own family when he was convicted. There's a very small possibility he was paroled, but again, we should have been notified."

"Looks like he wasn't alone and we found some blood leading away from the scene, in the opposite direction that Matt went. Not sure if it was Davis or the person with him, but one of them is injured."

"That must be what Matt meant, Dad," Cody said.

Jesse nodded and explained to the Rangers. "Matt came to for a few minutes on the flight down, was mumbling something about Teagan taking a 'bite out of crime'. I wasn't sure what he meant."

The two Rangers smiled, easily imagining the Shepherd going after anyone attacking Matt.

"Is Teagan at the Ranger station?" Cody asked.

"No. When we got back to your cabin, Dingy was there, but Teagan wasn't. We're hoping she shows up back at the station or Matt's cabin eventually. If not, we'll go looking for her once we find Davis. And we brought your horses down to the station. We'll keep them there, so you can stay here as long as you need. We closed up your cabin and made sure everything was in order there."

"Thanks," Jesse told them, appreciating the fact that the Rangers took care of the animals involved as well as the people.

Cutler and Avila hung around long enough to see Matt out of recovery and into ICU, then headed back to the station. The FBI was due to arrive soon and all the Rangers needed to be there to assure the Feebies that the Rangers wouldn't be allowing them to take over the investigation.

/

At three o'clock the next morning, Matt's fever spiked. He began thrashing around and having nightmares on top of the medical issues he was having to suffer through. The movement pulled the stitches and caused his IV to become dislodged. In his delirium, he called out for Cody and his father, causing both of them to do their best to assure Matt that they were fine and by his side.

The next three days were rough ones for Matt, therefore they were rough on Jesse and Cody as well. The big blond continued to fight the fever, which raged higher no matter how many antibiotics the doctors plied him with. Jesse and Cody pushed the limits of the visiting hours, but no one complained much. Since Matt was a law enforcement officer, and the Hawkes family was well known in the area, the nurses were more lenient than they usually were with patient families.

Jesse and Cody stayed out of their way and respected the job they did, often bringing them coffee and soft drinks when they got something for themselves. Just the night before, Jesse had pizza delivered for the graveyard shift crew, which was appreciated by all.

And Matt's fellow Rangers were the same way. Not like the Tahoe PD boys, who could sometimes be overbearing and downright rude when one of theirs was a patient, the Rangers always asked for permission before visiting Matt in ICU and were politely impatient when they were required to wait.

Linda Thompkins read Matt's chart and shook her head, dismayed that he wasn't showing the quick improvement that they'd hoped for. There had been a slight change for the better over the last twenty-four hours. She hoped that trend continued. According to the chart, the doctor was concerned they might have missed something, so had scheduled another series of tests to see if they could discover where the infection was inside the young man's body. They all hoped that they wouldn't need to take him back to surgery.

Linda sat down to begin the charting she needed to complete before the doctors made their rounds. Luckily there were only two patients in ICU right now and the other patient was due to be released to a regular room later that morning. So she would be able to concentrate on Matt Hawkes. Matt's father and brother had been persuaded to leave the hospital the night before, but she had no doubt that they would be showing up soon.

She decided to check on Matt, getting the vitals taken care of before his family showed up, so that they wouldn't be forced to wait. Grabbing her stethoscope and his chart, she crossed to his room and slipped inside. She quickly and efficiently took his temperature and his blood pressure, made sure all the machines he was attached to were working properly, and double-checked that the dosages on the antibiotics and pain medication connected to his I.V. were still correct.

Jotting down her findings on his chart, she then took a moment for a bit of human contact. Leaning in closely, she placed her hand on his forehead. "You have a lot of people here worried about you, Mathew Hawkes," she said quietly. "You best wake up and put their fears at ease."

She noticed a small spike on his heart monitor when she spoke. She decided to speak some more, hoping to see it continue to spike up. "Okay, Matt, it looks like you might be ready to wake up here," she said, keeping her eyes locked on the machine, and noticing another spike. "Good, Matt. That's good. Your father and brother should be here soon."

"We're here now," a voice said behind her.

She turned around with a smile seeing a teenage boy standing in the doorway. "Excellent." She reached out her hand, waving him forward. "Cody, right?"

When he nodded and walked toward the bed, she grabbed his hand. "I think your brother might be making an effort to come back to us. I want you to talk to him. His heart monitor is spiking. I want to see if it changes more when he recognizes your voice."

Cody excitedly sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Matt's hand in his, careful of the I.V. "Hey, Matt. Did you have a good night? Sorry we weren't here last night. The mean night nurse kicked us out, said we needed to go take showers. It's only been three days." He watched the monitor closely, seeing what the nurse was talking about, then watched her pick up the phone and make a call.

"Looks like you got Nurse Linda pretty excited there, Matty. You want to open those eyes, maybe she'll do a dance," he said, smiling at her glare. "Dad will be here soon, he just went down to get some coffee. What say you surprise him and wake up before he gets here, huh?"

Cody watched as Matt's face slid into a grimace, but he could see his big brother's eyes moving under the lids. "You know, Matt, Linda's pretty good looking...for an older woman, that is. Ohoh, now she's giving me a glare that could freeze a lava flow. I guess this is one of those times when you aren't supposed to mention a lady's age."

She finished her phone call, having updated the doctor, as she continued to listen to Cody encourage his brother.

"I think you need to wake up now, and protect me from Nurse Linda. I bet she could kick me all the way back up that mountain if she set her mind to it," Cody said, teasing the nurse who had been on day shift duty for the three days that Matt had been in ICU. "I need my big brother to help me out here, Matt. So how about you wake up and give me a hand."

Linda heard a noise behind her, and turned to see Matt's father in the doorway, carrying a tray with three cups in it. She waved him forward, softly explaining what was going on. She wasn't surprised when Jesse handed her the tray and moved to the other side of the bed, all thoughts of coffee no longer important.

"Mathew, Dad's here," he said, running his fingers through Matt's hair, damp from the fever. His other hand slid around his son's wrist, the thumb sliding across Matt's hot skin. "Cody and I would really like to see you wake up now. It's been three days, Mathew. You've been asleep long enough, son."

A groan of pain escaped Matt's lips. The sound was both a godsend and a curse. Although he wanted to see Matt wake up, he didn't want him to be in pain.

"C'mon, Matt," Cody joined in again. "We need your help. We can't find Teagan. You need to tell us where she might have gone."

Jesse nodded his head in approval. "Cody's right, son. Do you have any places that are a particular favorite with Teagan, somewhere she might go when she's scared?"

Both men held their breath as Matt's head moved. His eyelids fluttered, then opened briefly, before sliding shut again. "Teagan?" he asked in a whispered.

"That's right, Matt. Do you know where Teagan might have gone?" Jesse asked.

Matt licked his dry lips. Jesse didn't even need to ask before Linda was handing him a cup of ice chips and a white plastic spoon. "Just a little at a time," she instructed, quietly.

Foregoing the spoon, Jesse picked up an ice chip with his fingers, and slid it across Matt's lip, watching as his tongue slid out to capture the moisture. "More?" Matt asked, his voice rough from disuse. Jesse slid another one between his lips.

A moment later, they were rewarded when Matt opened his eyes, blinking in the harsh light. His view of the room was blocked by the smiling faces of his father and brother. The confusion was obvious in his eyes, so Jesse tried to soothe his worry.

"You're in the hospital, Matthew. You were shot. But you're going to be fine."

Matt was quiet for nearly a full minute, and Jesse could tell he was trying to remember what happened. His eyes widened as his memory supplied him with the details.

"Teagan?"

Jesse looked at Cody. "We had to leave her at the cabin. The Rangers are looking for her."

"She hurt?"

"No, she wasn't hurt. But she might have gotten scared and run off."

"Loo' for her?" Matt asked, the effort to talk obvious by the weakness in his voice.

"We'll help look for her once the doctor tells us you're out of danger..."

"Now, fin' her."

Jesse sighed, but before he could reply, Cody spoke up. "I'll go. As soon as the doctor comes in to check you out, I'll head up with Dingy. We'll find her," he promised.

Matt sighed in relief. "Than's, Cody." He closed his eyes again and they thought he'd fallen asleep, but he suddenly gasped and tried to sit up. "No, no Cody, not 'lone. Davis. He's still out there."

"The Rangers and the FBI are all looking for him, Matt."

Matt grabbed Cody's arm. "Promise me, won't go...alone. Promise me!"

Cody wrapped his hand around Matt's. "I promise, Matt. I promise I won't go looking for Teagan until Davis is in custody. But the Rangers are all over the mountain, so if there are any special places, I can have them keep an eye out."

Matt relaxed, relieved that his brother wouldn't be putting himself in danger. Although he was worried about Teagan, he wouldn't risk his brother's life. He lay back, thinking about Cody's question, but didn't get the chance to answer before his doctor walked in.

"Well, good morning, Matt," the doctor greeted him. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Doctor Bishoff. I treated you when you came into the ER Sunday."

"I don' 'member." He blinked as he looked at the doctor. "You...treated...knee...couple years ago?"

"That's right. Good memory. Glad to see you awake! I'm gonna do a quick exam and then we'll decide where we go from here."

Cody moved around to the other side of the bed, standing next to his father while the doctor completed his exam. Jesse slid an arm around Cody's waist and pulled him close. While the doctor performed his test, he continued to talk. "Linda tells me that your fever is down a bit. Seems this latest round of medication is working. Hopefully, the fever will break completely today and we can get you started on the rest of your recovery."

He untied Matt's hospital gown at the left shoulder, pulling it aside, then removed the bandage that covered the gunshot wound. He felt around the area, causing some wincing from his patient. "Sorry," he told Matt. "On a scale from one to ten, how bad is the pain."

Matt appeared to be a bit more coherent as the doctor continued his exam. He smiled with just a bit of a grimace. "Before or after... you started ...poking at it?"

"Before...and after," the doctor replied, teasingly.

"About...five before...seven or eight now."

Bishoff nodded and pressed a button on the morphine drip, pushing another dose through the I.V. "That should take the edge off, for now. If it gets bad, use this pump to get another dose. You know the drill, I'm sure." Matt nodded as the doctor wrapped the cord around the bed railing so it wouldn't fall onto the floor.

"Are you hungry?"

Matt shook his head. "Not really."

"Fair enough, but we do need to get some nourishment into you. I'll have the kitchen send up some broth. With the surgery on your abdomen, it'll be awhile before you're able to handle any solid foods, but you need some nourishment. We'll stick with liquids for several days, see how you handle it, then adjust from there. Make sure you rest. Sleep is the best thing for you right now."

"Thanks, Doc."

"I'll be back this afternoon to check on you. If you continue to improve, we might be able to get you out of ICU in a couple of days." Bishoff slid his stethoscope back into the pocket of his white lab coat and headed for the door.

Cody moved back to his side of the bed, climbing up to sit crossed-legged at Matt's feet, going slowly so as not to make a lot of movement. "I'm glad you're awake, Matt," he said. "You had us scared."

"Sorry, Code."

Jesse pulled one of the comfortable chairs closer to the bed. Linda stopped him on the way, and handed the tray of coffee back to him with a smile and a wink. He accepted the tray, lifted one out and handed it to her, winking back. She left, coffee in hand, patting Matt on the foot as she walked past his bed. "I'll have some broth up in a few minutes. Until then, you relax."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied softly.

After she left, Matt turned to his father. "How close are they to Davis?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to Tim this morning." Glancing at his watch, he added, "He and Cutler should be here soon."

The three Hawkes men talked quietly, all of them worried about Davis still running loose, and about Teagan in the wilderness on her own again. They had just gotten her back to good health. Matt just prayed Davis didn't find her. After what she did to his arm, the man wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her head.

Thirty minutes later, Cutler strode through the door, a grin plastered across his face. "Linda said you were awake!"

"Hey, Jimmy. Frank," he said, seeing Avila behind Cutler. "Where's Tim?"

"Coordinating with the FBI," Frank said. "We think we've ID's his partner, his cousin, Tyler Connor."

Matt nodded. "Thought I saw a bit of a resemblance. Any sign of Teagan?" Matt wanted to know.

"No, but we're keeping an eye out. Frank and I are going up this morning in the bird, see if we can spot any sign of Davis and Connor. We'll keep our eyes peeled for Teagan as well."

"Thanks," Matt said, grateful for his friends. "She saved my life out there."

Cutler pulled up a chair. "You up to telling us what happened?"

Matt nodded, then had his father raised the bed so he could be more in a sitting position. Taking a sip of water, he leaned back and began his statement.

"I was heading to Dad's. I was riding just south of Table Rock, heard a shot. Started riding that direction. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground, my shoulder on fire. Then I heard laughter, looked up to see Davis standing there. He was pulling up the rifle to shoot again when Teagan came flying out of the woods and clamped down on his arm. He dropped the rifle. I was able to reach it and called Teagan off. Davis and his cousin took off, said we'd meet again if I lived."

Frank nodded. "I think we need to put some security on you, Matt, until Davis is caught."

"I agree," Jesse said, halting any protest from Matt before it even got started.

"I want you guys out there looking for Davis," Matt insisted.

"Then we'll call McBride. He can have some of his guys keep the watch."

Matt wasn't happy with the idea, but taking a quick glance at Cody, he realized that if Davis did show up, he didn't want him getting any chance to hurt his brother...or his father. He reluctantly nodded his head, surprising everyone in the room. But none of them were gonna argue with his easy acquiescence. He did get an argument when he tried to convince Jesse and Cody not to stay with him. He knew it would have been a long-shot, but he had to try.

After a few more questions, Cutler and Avila left. Matt fell asleep a few minutes later, exhausted from both his injury and fever, and from having to remember what had happened.

/

Michael Davis staggered through the door of the old cabin he and Tyler had been staying in. He dropped down onto the raggedy sofa, hoping that his cousin didn't take too long to return with medical supplies. He was in agony where that mangy dog bit him. Reaching into his pocket, he slid out the switchblade he'd found in one of the vehicles he'd stolen a few days before, and sliced through the sleeve on his injured arms.

The blood had begun to dry, the material sticking to the wound. He cried out as he pulled the cloth away from the puncture wounds, cussing the dog and Hawkes as he did. Standing back up, he headed for the kitchen. Using his good arm, he started working the pump to get some water running through the old rusty faucet.

It took five minutes of steadying pumping before the water started to run clear. Shoving his arm underneath the faucet, he cleaned the blood away. Two deep bites on the top of his arm still oozed blood. _Fucking dog! Should have shot him and left him lying there next to Hawkes. _

He snatched a dishtowel from the drawer next to the sink and wrapped it tightly around his arm, before collapsing back on the couch. While he waited for his cousin to return, he turned on the battery operated radio that sat on the side table, hoping to hear that Hawkes' body had been found. And planning his revenge if the man still lived. He knew his cousin would help him. Should have let Tyler just kill Hawkes then and there. But he'd been selfish. He wanted to finish the job himself. And he wanted Hawkes to suffer.

When Davis had been convicted, Ty was the only relative who didn't turn his back on him. The twenty-one year old Tyler had always looked up to his older cousin, as the only male relative that was close in age to him.

The cousins had corresponded while Mike was in prison. Tyler consistently affirmed his belief that Mike was innocent of the murder he'd been convicted of. Mike never told him that he had not only committed that murder, but three others in Nevada and Utah. The other murders, however, had not been as...public. Those three bodies had been dumped, two in the desert outside Las Vegas, and the other in the hills outside Salt Lake City. He didn't know if they'd ever been found or not. And he hadn't cared.

He supposed he'd gotten cocky with the success from his earlier homicides. But he'd needed more money than he was able to get from random victims on the street. It's why he'd chosen a bank that last time. He hadn't planned on anyone like Matt Hawkes entering the picture. The fact that Hawkes and his High Mountain Rangers had been able to track him down in Desolation Wilderness still galled him.

He'd always considered himself an expert in the woods, having survived off and on for years just living off the land. When he'd shot that bank teller in Tahoe, then hightailed it to the mountains, he'd been confident that he'd never be found. He hadn't counted on a group of Feds that he'd never heard of before. He hadn't been as careful as he should have been. When he'd walked outside the cave he'd taken refuge in, and found himself surrounded by men carrying rifles and yelling at him that he was under arrest, he'd been so shocked he hadn't put up a fight.

During his trial, he'd learned that his downfall had come at the hands of this group calling themselves High Mountain Rangers. And during testimony, it was clear that Matt Hawkes was the only reason he'd been found. The man's expertise in tracking was apparently well known in Tahoe and on both sides of the state line. Davis seethed at his own stupidity for not doing a better job of checking out the area. He knew that the FBI always investigated bank robberies and figured that no FBI agent would chase him into the deep forests outside Tahoe.

He hadn't planned on Federal agents who had as much, if not more, experience in wilderness survival and tracking than he did himself. He would not make that mistake again. He'd been given a life sentence, but vowed that he wouldn't be behind bars for long. His lawyer had started immediate appeals, and seeing a possible future opportunity, he decided to make sure he was able to attend every hearing involving his case.

It hadn't taken long for him to find a weakness to exploit and during his last trip to court, he'd been able to flee the courthouse. To be sure, court security had given a good chase, but he'd devised several contingency plans and was easily able to elude them. Since he'd been heading to a courtroom, he'd been allowed to wear civilian clothes, instead of the standard prison jump suit, making his getaway less conspicuous.

Two blocks from the courthouse, he'd dragged a man from his car in a parking garage, bashing his head on the concrete pillar and leaving him unconscious on the ground as he drove away in the man's Mercedes. The five-hundred dollars the man had been carrying in his wallet didn't hurt either. He'd initially headed north, hoping to throw off the cops. Before he'd made it to the Tahoe area, he'd changed vehicles half a dozen times.

His escape had been a week ago. He'd finally made his way back into the hills west of Tahoe, with a final assist from his cousin, Tyler and the lovely Jessica. He smiled at the thought of the blond-haired woman who had been the owner of the last vehicle he'd taken, late one night at an all-night gas station.

She'd been traveling alone and he'd watched her fill up, as he kept an eye on the disinterested clerk inside. Seeing his chance, as she climbed back into her car, he came up behind her and put the knife at her throat, ordering her into the car, and making her climb over the center console, all the while keeping hold of one arm.

He'd kept her with him for two days. He'd finally tired of her and during the early morning hours of the second day, he found a little used forest service road that went deep into the forest. He'd dragged her barely conscious naked body out of the back and left it on the road. He didn't kill her. After all, she'd given him a great deal of pleasure over those two days. Her reward was being allowed to live. Whether she stayed that way was no longer a concern of his. She was either strong enough to survive or she wasn't. Not his problem either way.

He drove back to Placerville, then called his cousin. Tyler had been excited to hear he was out of prison and the two made plans to meet. The only problem was, Tyler had no vehicle. So Mike offered to pick him up at his home in Folsom. Before he left Placerville, he stole another vehicle. And left another body behind. He was getting good at killing.

He sat up straight as he heard the radio announce breaking news.

_"...just in. Matthew Hawkes, Commander of the High Mountain Rangers, has been transported to Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, with a gunshot wound. Details are sketchy at this time. Hawkes' condition is listed as serious but stable. Hospital spokesman, Larry Spencer, stated that Hawkes was brought in with a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and is currently undergoing surgery. El Dorado County Sheriff Mike McBride, speaking on behalf of the High Mountain Rangers, who are currently at the location of the shooting trying to piece together what happened and looking for the suspect, told this reporter that they have discovered the likely weapon used on Matt Hawkes and it is currently in the hands of the Sheriff's Office forensic unit. The FBI has also been called in to assist, since the High Mountain Rangers are a federal law enforcement agency, as well as a search and rescue organization. As soon as we have more information, we'll pass it along." _

Davis slammed his hand down on the arm of the sofa, hissing when the movement jarred his other, injured, arm. He'd hoped that Hawkes would have died out there in the woods. In fact, he envisioned some wild animal coming along and tearing him limb from limb while still alive. He wondered if the man had been conscious when they found him. If so, police might already know about Davis. Glancing up at the old clock on the wall, he mentally urged Ty to hurry up. They needed to get his arm fixed up, then make their way to the place he'd stashed most of the loot he'd gotten from that bank robbery that had put him in prison.

He hadn't wanted to keep the money with him at the time, so had hidden it, by burying it not far from the cave where he'd been caught by Hawkes and his Rangers. He'd only had two thousand of the twenty thousand he'd stolen from the bank, when he'd been captured, and had never told investigators where he'd stashed the rest. He planned to dig it up and make tracks out of state, especially now that he'd be wanted for trying to kill a cop.

Damn it! He'd been out of practice using a rifle, otherwise his shot would have hit Hawkes in the heart and the man would have been dead before his body hit the ground! And that stupid dog! If he ever saw that dog again, he'd roast it over a fire pit, alive, and take pleasure in its pain.

He leaned back against the sofa, the pain in his arm taking its toll as he fell into a fitful sleep. Outside the worn-down cabin, two eyes kept a keen watch on the building, as a nose sniffed the air, making sure the scent she'd been tracking was inside. Teagan hunkered down in the trees, waiting for the man to come out.

/


	8. Chapter 8

**_CHAPTER 8_**

Two days later, Matt was moved from ICU to a regular room. The FBI had been by to speak with him and they had sent two men up with Hart and Cutler to check out the scene where the shooting had occurred.

In checking back through their records, the FBI had realized that most of the money from the Tahoe bank robbery had never been recovered and they assumed that Davis had returned to the Tahoe area retrieve it. Once they realized how close the site of Matt's shooting was to where Davis had been arrested, they figured the money must be cached somewhere nearby.

So they'd brought in a full team and along with Cutler and Avila were doing a complete search of the area. No one had very high hopes of actually finding something that had been buried years before, but they had to try, especially since it was possible they'd come across Davis and his cousin if they hadn't already retrieved the money.

Sheriff McBride had posted a Deputy outside Matt's room for security since the FBI and the Rangers were concentrating on the search for Davis and the money. So now it was just a matter of waiting to see what happened.

/

Davis slipped down the hallway, half expecting to be stopped before he got to Matt Hawkes' room. It had been easy to get the information, pretending he was a concerned friend. He saw a cop standing by the nurse's station, flirting with the nurse. He quickly pushed the door to Hawkes' room open a couple of inches listening to see if he heard any conversation inside. It seemed quiet, so he slipped into the room. He saw his target lying in bed, either asleep or unconscious.

He slid his hand into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the switchblade. He pressed the button and it snicked open. He watched the man in the bed to make sure the quiet noise didn't wake him up. When he was sure the High Mountain Ranger was still out he moved closer to the bed.

He wanted to savor the opportunity to make this man suffer, wanted to remember every second of Hawkes' death so that he could relive it over and over again for the rest of his life, but he knew that time was not on his side. He looked up at the machinery that was attached to the patient in the bed and debated whether to just turn the pain medication up to full so that he would overdose or unplug it altogether so he'd feel everything.

But then again, he wouldn't be able to hang around to watch the man writhe in pain. He wondered if anyone would notice if he snuck into a closet and stuck around for a while. He laughed quietly imagining what it would be like to be in the room when Matt Hawkes' heart stopped. But he didn't think he'd be able to contain his glee and he'd give away his position.

He shook his head, trying to get those wonderful images out of his brain and get on with the job. He debated how best to make his presence known. Raising the knife, he slammed it down into Matt's thigh. Davis laughed out loud seeing the look on Hawkes' face as the man shot up from the bed, gasping in pain as he moved.

"Well, Hawkes, nice of you to be awake for my visit. I don't have a lot of time so we'll have to make this quick," he said, yanking the knife from Matt leg and raising up in front of his victim's face, blood dripping from the blade. The injured Ranger saw a man standing by the bed and when he was able to focus, he noticed the blade and then focused his eyes on Davis' face.

Jerking his head back slightly, he looked up as a man began to laugh again.

"Oh, Matt, that was priceless! I wish I had a camera! In fact I wish I had a video camera so I could document your last breath." He leaned over, his face just inches from Matt's, moving the knife around so that the light caught the blade. Davis turned to look over his shoulder when he thought he heard the door open. Seeing no one behind him he turned back to his victim, just in time to react to Matt reaching for the hand that held the knife.

Davis changed the grip on the knife holding it in his fist with the blade point downwards, pulling away from Matt's reach. As he raised the knife again, preparing to stab his prey in the heart, he heard a deep growl behind him. The sound sent a shiver down his spine and he turned slowly toward the door. Across the room, he saw the German shepherd that had taken a chunk out of his arm a week before, the dog's intense eyes locked onto his own.

Davis knew he was facing death... his own. The dark eyes, the bared teeth, and the dog's position, back on her haunches and ready to spring, and Davis knew he only had a split second to react. But he was too late. Moments later a scream echoed down the hallway, stopping everyone in their tracks. The voice sounded like the devil himself was coming out of hell.

Suddenly two figures raced down the hall heading straight for Matt's room. Not hesitating they rushed into the room, seeing Davis on the floor, screaming, blood spurting from his left arm as Teagan clamped down and refused to let go, shaking her head back and forth.

"Teagan, release!" Cutler ordered. It took a second, but the dog let go, but continued to growl at the writhing man on the floor.

"Jimmy, he had a knife. Find the knife," Matt said, his voiced tinged with pain. The deputy who had run into the room with Cutler stepped around to get on the other side of the suspect, just as Cutler spotted the light glinting off the metal of the blade from across the room. But as he stepped closer and reached to pick it up, a desperate Davis kicked the Deputy in the knee, knocking the man back, and causing him to fall and strike his head hard on the floor. Davis then dove toward the knife, wrapping his hand around the handle a split second before Cutler was able to.

Jimmy dropped to the floor, his hands trying to get purchase on Davis' arm, his grip slipping in the blood that was flowing from the new bite wounds on the escapee's arm. He registered the barking and growling behind him, but barely felt the weak attempts by Davis to bring his knee into his side, as he concentrated on keeping the knife away from his own body. He felt Davis shift, and a sharp pain went across the back of his hand, then up his arm. He noticed the cut across his knuckles, but before he could really comprehend that Davis had managed to cut him, he saw the convict's eyes go almost comically wide.

Then another bloodcurdling scream filled the room. Davis dropped the knife, allowing Jimmy to slap it across the room. He moved back slightly, thinking that he needed to get some cuffs on the man, but froze at the sight before him.

Davis was screaming. "Get him off! God, please, help me! Get him off me!" He was struggling to move away from the angry dog that had attached herself to his body.

Teagan had attacked as Davis pulled his leg back to get some force behind his next kick, so instead of getting hold of his leg as she lunged at him, her jaw had locked on to the space between his legs and she was refusing to let go.

Jimmy winced in sympathy, finally finding his voice to call her off. But it wasn't until Matt called out a weak, "Teagan, come," that the animal released her grip with a final growl and hopped up onto the bed next to her human.

By that time, a doctor and two nurses were standing in the doorway. An orderly pushed a gurney part way into the room and assisted the doctor in getting the bleeding and still screaming man lifted up. Davis hadn't realized that the dog had let go. One of the nurses hurried over to check on the deputy, who was just starting to come around again, as the orderly pushed the gurney carrying Davis toward the elevator that would take them down to the emergency room. The deputy went with them, settled in a wheelchair, a bloody towel held at the back of his head.

Hospital security, who had arrived on scene just as Davis had been wheeled down the hall, were asked by Cutler to stay with Davis until they could get another Deputy to the hospital to guard him.

Once the commotion was over, Jimmy walked over to the bed. "How the hell did that dog get in this room?"

"I have no idea, Jimmy," Matt remarked, "but I'm sure glad she did. She saved my life. Again. Davis was going to kill me, and I'm not sure I could've stopped him."

Seconds later Matt's doctor rushed into the room. "What the hell happened here?" He asked. "I just got an urgent call that my patient was in danger. Are you okay, Matt?"

"I'm good, Doc. This little lady saved my life, for the second time," he declared, petting the head of the dog that the doctor only then realized was on the bed with Matt.

"You do realize that's not the most sanitary thing in the world," the doctor said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about this little lady, but I am gonna have to insist that she be removed from the room. And just what happened to your leg?" he asked, just noticing the blood.

Both Rangers looked down and saw blood seeping through the sheets and blanket, a neat slice in the material. It was at that moment that Matt remembered he'd been stabbed and finally felt the pain. The doctor pulled back the covers and took a close look at the wound.

"We need to get this cleaned up and stitched. It's pretty deep," he said, walking around the bed to pick up the phone. As he waiting for his call to be answered, he noticed blood dripping onto the floor that couldn't have come from Matt. Following the angle, he noticed Cutler's arm. Grabbing the sleeve on Jimmy's other arm, he pulled the man closer to him, tucking the phone under his chin. Gently lifting the bleeding arm, he pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket and cut through the sleeve of Jimmy's shirt, exposing the deep cut on his arm.

"Did you not feel this?" he asked, worried. He slipped some gloves from the box attached to the wall, he slipped them on, then turned his attention back to Jimmy's arm.

Cutler stared at his bleeding arm in fascination. "Hmm, thought it was just my hand," he said, flexing his fingers.

"This might need more than just stitches," he said, then turned his attention to the phone. "Yes, this is Doctor Bishoff. I need a plastic surgeon in Room 2023..."

"Actually, doc, this room is now a crime scene," came a voice from the doorway. They all looked up to see Hart standing in the doorway. "Matt, the FBI is here. They're down with Davis right now, but they'll be here in a few minutes. I think it might be best if we can get you moved to another room and get this room secured."

Bishoff shook his head in frustration and spoke back into the phone. "Correction, have Doctor Spiner meet me in the ER. I have two patients for him. One a deep stab wound to the leg, the other a serious laceration to the forearm and hand. Yes, thank you." He hung up as a nurse stepped into the room. The doctor instructed her to get two wheelchairs.

He began pulling sterile bandages from a container in the drawer next to Matt's bed, wrapping them around the cut on Jimmy's arm. Cutler began to sway just as the nurse rolled a wheelchair behind him. The doctor assisted him in sitting down, still keeping a tight grip on his arm. He instructed the nurse to get him down to the ER, then turned his attention to Matt.

Getting fresh gloves and pulling more bandages from the drawer, he snatched a roll of gauze and another sterile bandage. Pressing the bandage against the wound, he lifted Matt's leg just high enough to wrap the gauze around the leg to keep the bandage in place. "That'll do until we get you downstairs," he said. Hart helped the Doctor get Matt off the bed, making sure not to jar his already injured arm.

"Teagan..." Matt began.

Hart raised a hand. "I'll have Frank run her back to the station real quick. Izzy can keep an eye on her."

"Thanks, Buddy," Matt said, his weary voice betraying the pain he was in, both from the earlier bullet wound and the new stab wound in his leg.

Hart grabbed hold of Teagan's collar to keep her from following Matt as the doctor pushed him from the room. She whimpered until he was out of sight, then looked up at Tim. The dark-skinned Ranger could almost read the torment in the animal's eyes.

"He'll be okay, girl. Don't you worry," he assured her, feeling a bit foolish as he led the dog out of the room.

/

"...just dumb luck that the cousin was sitting in a stolen vehicle outside the hospital as we drove up," Frank was explaining, as the Rangers, Cody and Jesse were all gathered in Matt and Jimmy's hospital room. They'd moved Matt to a different room after Davis' thwarted attack, and since the doctor's had decide to keep Cutler overnight due to blood loss, they just put the two Rangers in a double room.

"When Frank, me and two FBI agents surrounded the car, he gave up pretty quickly. And gave up his cousin too," Hart added.

"Connor didn't know that Davis had escaped prison," Avila continued. "He didn't own a television or radio. Didn't know his cousin was out until Davis called him from Placerville. In fact, Davis completely exonerated Tyler, said he told his cousin that he'd been paroled."

"How the hell did we not know he'd escaped?" Matt asked.

"Damn, Matt, we've been so busy we haven't had time to relax enough to turn on the television. Except for Izzy and he wasn't around when you arrested Davis. He saw the reports on the news, but it happened in Sacramento, and all indications were the guy was headed north. He didn't realize his connection to you and the Rangers."

"Aren't you supposed to get notification from the prison?" Jesse asked, angry that the man had been able to hurt his son, not once, but twice. He was grateful that Cody hadn't been in the room with Matt when Davis attacked. He didn't think he would be able to handle it to have both his sons hurt at the hands of that maniac.

"New warden at the prison. They notified the FBI and the local police, along with the Highway Patrol, but until he pulled Davis' file, he didn't see the notation that El Dorado County Sheriff and the High Mountain Rangers were supposed to be notified. By the time he saw that, Matt was already here and in surgery."

Hart had been disgusted to learn that the prison had been so lax in doing its job. If they'd have known about Davis' escape the day it happened, Matt would have had some warning that he might be in the area. And Hart would never have allowed him to travel to his father's place alone.

"The car they were driving belonged to an elderly man who lived in Placerville. He was dead in his kitchen when Placerville Police went to talk to him about his car. Another victim of Davis. And they found a vehicle parked nearby that was associated with a missing female from Chico. She was found two days ago wandering naked along highway 50 near Pollock Pines. She'd been beaten and sexually assaulted over a two-day period. She just regained consciousness this morning and was able to pick Davis out of a photo line-up."

"Slimy bastard," Matt growled, the others nodding their agreement. "What's being done about the prison, anything?"

"FBI made an official complaint on your behalf to the Bureau of Prisons and Department of Justice. We'll see if anything comes of it," Hart shrugged, not really expecting anything to happen to the warden.

"On a lighter note," Robin said, "we got a call from the Humane Society. They want to honor Teagan for saving your life!"

"Cool!" Cody exclaimed. "She deserves it."

"Yeah, they want to give her a plaque and free food for a year."

"I won't argue that!" Matt said. "She goes through her food pretty fast."

"Speaking of which," Frank said. "I talked to Jake the yesterday. He's sicced Sacramento Animal Control on that lady who owned the cabin where you found Teagan. Seems that when he spoke to them about her, they were all too familiar with her. She's been charged with animal abuse and neglect in the past. When they went out to the house in Sacramento, she wasn't home, but they spoke to some of her neighbors. They're pretty sure that Teagan was her dog and she left her up at that cabin on purpose. Jake is pursuing it. She wants her in jail this time, not just fined."

Matt shook his hand, the anger easy to see on his face. "I'd love to lock her in a room, with no food or water, and no way get out and see how well she survives," he muttered.

"And she's still calling Jake, threatening a lawsuit if the animal isn't returned to her. He's already talked to Judge Michaels, who issued a court order after seeing the pictures Jake had of Teagan when he first got her. The order forbids her from adopting any animal in El Dorado County and he's forwarded his information to the courts in Sac County as well, requesting a similar order against her there. He also issued a restraining order against her, so she can't go near the vet's office, the Ranger station or your house. She should be served with that order today sometime."

"Wow," was the only comment from Matt.

"He has a personal interest," Frank said. "His god daughter is Emily Traxton." He saw by the smile on Matt's face that he understood.

"Emily Traxton?" Jesse asked.

Matt smiled. "She was being hassled outside of Stoney's by the Hunter twins a couple months ago. I helped her out," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Those Hunter boys still don't want anything to do with Matt after their daddy took a switch to them for messing with a Ranger's vehicle last year. Seems like Daddy has a soft spot for the Rangers," Frank said with a grin.

"That's because Dad and his team saved his wife's life when she was pregnant with the twins. She got into a car accident. Dad and one of his Rangers happened to be driving by and were able to get her out of the vehicle, just before it caught fire," Matt explained. When Jesse raised an eyebrow, Matt remarked. "I read it in one of the letters we found in the attic."

"Which reminds me," Izzy piped up, "we got a call from Harrah's this morning. They said they've blocked out thirty rooms for the first weekend in September, Friday through Monday. And they'd like to host a Welcome dinner for the retired Rangers that Friday night. We've had some other offers from different businesses in South Lake Tahoe to help with banners, pictures and catering."

Jesse stood up from the chair he'd been sitting on between the two beds, stretching to get the kinks out of his back. "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate what you all are doing. I thought it was something special when you put that display together, but to go to all this trouble to honor the first Rangers, well…thank you."

"So, Mr. Hawkes, you think we'll be able to get those retired Rangers to tell us some stories about the olden days," Izzy teased.

"I got your olden days, son," Jesse growled, playfully grabbed the younger man in a headlock, causing everyone else in the room to bust out in laughter. Down the hall, smiles broke out on the faces of several staff members who were hanging out around the nurse's station.

/

Matt leaned on the cane as he stopped just inside the Sierra Room, situated to the right of many slot machines in Harrah's Casino and Hotel. Luckily, he'd been able to rid himself of the sling a week before, but the leg had proved troublesome, and he still needed the cane when he spent too much time on his feet. Luckily, both injuries had been to his left side, so he was able to use the cane in his right hand and not have to resort to a wheelchair.

He glanced around the room and smiled. Robin, Izzy and the staff of the hotel had done a wonderful job setting up the room for the initial get-together for all the Rangers, retired or still on active duty in the mountains. Along the back wall, a banner stretch about ten feet across, with a message of welcome and thanks in the middle. On either end of the banner was a rendition of the High Mountain Rangers patch. On the left was the original patch, on the right the patch of the current team.

Underneath the banner was a long table, covered with photo albums and notebooks, holding a multitude of photos and letters. Two large easels sat at either end of the table. The easels held two enlarged photos, one of Earl Jones, the other of Merlin Pierce.

Matt stood in front of Merlin's photo and smiled. It was typical Merlin—a huge grin lit up the man's face, his eyes held the mischievous glint that was always in his eyes, except when they were in the midst of a rescue. Merlin had not only been his Commander, but his friend. He'd judged Matt on his own merits and didn't expect him to be his father. Matt still missed him.

He made his way around the rest of the room. There were several other easels set up with more enlargements of photos of the Rangers in action. He recognized a much younger Jesse Hawkes in a couple of them, no touch of gray in those pictures of his younger years.

Jesse and Cody walked into the room just as Matt finished looking at the pictures. He joined them at the door, then he and Cody watched as Jesse moved through the room, unknowingly following in Matt's footsteps. When he reached Earl Jones' picture, they could see him reached out a hand, stopping just before he touched the glass.

Matt and Cody had heard the story of the old Ranger's death on many occasions. They both knew that Jesse carried around a great deal of guilt about Earl's death. As not only Earl's Commander, but his friend, he had always felt that he should have done more that day. It had weighed on Jesse for years.

Jesse's Rangers had been tracking a juvenile runaway, a city kid who had run away from his parents while on their first camping trip. They'd heard a scream and when they reached the clearing, they saw the boy they'd been searching for backed up against the trunk of a large tree, a mountain lion crouched and prepared to pounce. Earl had taken a quick shot, wounding the animal and causing her to run off.

While two other Rangers made sure the boy got back to town, Earl and Jesse had tracked the cat. They knew that a wounded animal was a dangerous animal—or in this case, a deadly animal. Jesse had managed to kill the cat, but not before she'd mauled Earl. He had bled out quickly and Jesse had been forced to build a travois to carry him down the mountain. Since that day, Jesse had also carried a huge dose of guilt.

Matt would never forget the look in his father's face when he'd dragged himself through the door that night. It was one of the few times he'd ever seen his father cry. He hoped that this get together would lessen the weight that he'd borne since that day. As Jesse turned around, Matt was glad to see a hint of the smile on the older man's face. He nudged Cody and the two sons walked over to join their father.

Jesse pulled his sons close, an arm around the waist of each boy. "Thank you, Mathew. This is...special."

"It turned out great, didn't it? Robin and Izzy did most of the work."

"Hey, where's the beer!?" The three men turned at the loud question. "Jesse Hawkes! You haven't growed a bit have you?"

"I'm still big enough to take you on!" Jesse replied, hurrying to greet his friend.

Cody and Matt grinned at each other as their father greeted the big man who walked in the door and grabbed Jesse in a bear hug, lifting him off his feet. He was well over six foot tall and had a full head of red hair, tinged with gray. He wore a black and white plaid flannel shirt and blue jeans.

"You're still an ugly cuss ain't ya?!" the man said as he set Jesse back on his feet.

"And you're still the loudest man in the room." Jesse turned to his sons. "Matt! Cody!" he said, waving his boys forward. "Do you remember Max Trunkill?"

"I do," Matt said. "I'm glad you could make it, Mr. Trunkill." Switching his cane to his other side, he shook the big man's hand.

"Is this really little Matty?" Trunkill said. "And you can call me Max. So, I heard you're the head of the Rangers now."

"Yes, sir, I am."

"That's great that you're following in your Daddy's footsteps. And Cody," Max said, shaking his younger boy's hand as well. "You were barely out of diapers when I retired. Now look at you, nearly a foot taller than your dad. Of course, that wouldn't take much." Jesse shook his head as Max cackled at his own joke.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of several others, anxious to get the evening started. The retired Rangers caught up with each as they all meandered around the room, the pictures prompting memories of rescues. Soon, everyone had a drink and the wait staff were walking around the room with trays of appetizers

Matt finally had to sit down, his leg giving him fits. His own Rangers were due to arrive any time and he looked forward to the two groups mingling. A loud bark caused him to look toward the door just as Teagan trotted through. She made her way unerringly to her human, pushing her head under his hand, even though he really needed no encouragement to pet her.

"Hey, girl. Did you have fun with Zephyr today?" he asked. He glanced up at Cutler, who had followed Teagan, with Zephyr on his heels, leashed since the puppy still got easily distracted.

"They had a blast, Matt, thanks for letting me keep her with me."

"She needed the exercise. I haven't been able to do much with her since my run-in with Davis."

"We saw Laura. She said she'd be by later. She got called out."

Matt nodded. It wasn't unusual for Laura to get a last minute call out. He looked forward to seeing her, as she'd be busy the last few weeks and they hadn't been able to spend much time together.

Once all the Rangers arrived, the staff served dinner. The older men told of past rescues and overcoming the problems of getting the unit up and running, while the younger ones listened with rapt attention, soaking up the stories, and later telling a few of their own.

Both groups discovered a new appreciation for each other and the job. The younger group realized just how tough the job was, without all the equipment they took for granted. And the older group were relieved to discover that the mountain was still in good hands. New friendships were formed between the two groups.

As the evening wore down, some of the older Rangers decided to call it a night, others took the opportunity to go do some gambling, Jesse included. It wasn't often he indulged, but Max had convinced him to play a little poker. They'd been joined by a couple of others, until Matt, Cody, Cutler and Hart were the only ones left in the room.

Matt reached over and nudged his little brother, who had fallen asleep, his handled cradled on his folded arm.

"Hey, Toad, time to go home."

Cody lifted his head, yawning and looking around, blinking at the bright lights in the room. He pushed himself up from the table.

Matt stood up, using his cane to steady himself, his brother keeping a watchful eye on him. Teagan roused as her human got up and placed herself beside Matt as the brothers headed out. Tim and Jimmy said their good nights and left together as the Hawkes boys walked toward the side door where Matt had parked his vehicle.

"Can I drive home?" Cody asked. Matt smiled and handed over his keys. Cody had his permit and often drove with Matt in the vehicle. They made their way slowly through the casino, Cody keeping pace with Matt's limping gate. It was nearly midnight, but the room was far from quiet, the pinging of slot machines from all-night gamblers assaulting their ears.

They had just walked around the back side of a roulette wheel when two men crashed into them, knocking all of them to the floor. Matt grunted as he hit the floor on his injured leg. A loud growl from Teagan had Matt glancing up to see Cody in the grasp of an armed man.

"Let him go!" Matt snarled, noticing several armed security officers surrounding them all. The man who had Cody, pulled the teen closer, wrapping his arm around Cody's neck, his other hand shoving the gun into Cody's side. His companion was waving another gun around at the half-dozen security guards who surrounded them. Citizens who had been gambling scrambled for safety.

Matt grabbed his cane and moved to stand up, freezing when the man who held Cody placed the gun to Cody's head. "Don't move!" the man ordered.

Matt's eyes met the frightened gaze of his little brother.

"Nobody move! You try to stop us and the kid dies!" the man shouted, pressing the barrel of the gun into Cody's temple.

"You won't get ten feet out the door," Matt told him.

"Oh, I think we will, unless you want this kid's brains splattered all over the room," the man smirked, completely ignoring the growling dog who was crouched down next to Matt.

The two suspects moved together, back to back, watching all directions as the moved toward the main entrance. As they moved, so did Matt, as he got to his feet. Matt knew that things were about to get uglier as he noticed blue and red flashing lights as police showed up outside the door.

Matt leaned on his cane and slowly moved as the suspects did. He wasn't sure what crime these men had committed, but at the moment he didn't care. He just knew that he needed to get his brother out of their clutches. He wasn't about to let them get out the door with Cody still their hostage.

Security moved in tighter around them, taking cover behind whatever objects they could. Things were at a standstill, security not giving way, and the two armed men not releasing Cody.

A noise to the right startled both men and as the second gunman turned, a gray and white blur slammed into his chest, knocking him backwards. His partner had turned to see what was going on, inadvertently pulling the gun away from Cody's head.

When Cody felt the man holding him loosen his grip, and the gun move away, he leaned forward to pull the man off balance. At the same time he swung a leg out, pulling the man's feet out from under him. As they dropped to the ground, he slammed his elbow into the man's face, eliciting a grunt of pain from his assailant.

What he didn't expect was the gunshot. And the pain that flashed across the side of his head.

/

_When Cody felt the man holding him loosen his grip, and the gun move away, he leaned forward to pull the man off balance. At the same time he swung a leg out, pulling the man's feet out from under him. As they dropped to the ground, he slammed his elbow into the man's face, eliciting a grunt of pain from his assailant. _

_What he didn't expect was the gunshot. _ _And the pain that flashed across the side of his head._

The gunman moved to his hands and knees, but as he reached again for Cody, he heard a growl. He turned to see a snarling Teagan beside him. As he moved back, he heard a second growl behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Zephyr standing over his partner, the man's stocking cap in his mouth, shaking his head back and forth like it was prey he was trying to shake to death.

Another growl from Teagan had the man facing her again, only to realize she'd gotten closer to him, moving between him and an unmoving Cody. As the man raised the gun, Teagan lunged, causing the man to scream and toss the gun away, covering his face with both hands. Teagan landed on his chest, knocking the wind out of him, drool flung from her mouth landing on his cowering head.

Sheriff's Deputies rushed in, quickly taking both men in custody...after Cutler and Hart were able to get the two canines to back, that is. Knowing the men were under control, Matt hurried to his brother's side.

"Cody!" Matt yelled as he fell to the floor next to his brother. He reached for Cody's shoulder to turn him over, but came away with a blood covered hand. "Cody!" He was frantic. "Cody, talk to me!"

"Ow," Cody muttered. He moved to his back and Matt saw blood on his head, just at the hairline over his right ear. He moved the hair back carefully and about fainted as he realized how lucky his little brother had been. The bullet had just grazed his head, leaving a shallow furrow.

"Thank you, God!" He sighed in relief.

"Mathew!"

Matt looked up to see his father and Max running across the room, having heard the shot from the poker room they'd been in. They pushed through security and police as the two gunman were being led away, Cutler led the two dogs away, after allowing them to intimidate the two gunman until police got them cuffed. Matt could hear Jimmy praising both animals as they continued to bark and growl. The smell of urine was strong as one of the men...or possibly both...had literally gotten the piss scared out of them by the fierce canines.

"Matt, medics are enroute," Hart told his Commander, who could only nod in reply.

Jesse dropped to his knees next to his sons, fear on his face. When he'd seen Matt but not Cody, he'd nearly screamed. But when he'd finally noticed Cody on the ground and heard Matt calling to him, his vision had blurred from the tears that had instantly begun to fall.

"It's just a graze, Dad. Medics are on the way," Matt assured his father.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"I don't know."

One of the deputies crouched down beside the three Hawkes men. "Robbery gone bad," he informed them. "Security spotted them as they were approaching the cashier's cage. They spotted security and took off running."

"And they ran into us," Matt supplied. "Literally."

Matt dropped back to sit down on the ground and was immediately jumped by Teagan, who licked his face. He grabbed her by the scruff and buried his face in her neck. "Thank you, girl. You saved Cody's life. Thank you," he whispered. She licked the tears from his face as they were joined by Cutler and Zephyr. Matt reached out to hug the Husky too. "You both are heroes."

Cutler grinned. "Yep. I see a couple big steaks in their futures. I can't wait to tell Laura that Zephyr made his first arrest!" He lost his grin as he finally noticed Cody still on the floor. "Cody?" he asked.

"A graze," Matt said. "Just a graze," he mumbled again as the medics hurried across the room. The two paramedics quickly assessed Cody's condition and loaded him onto the stretcher, Jesse following them out to the ambulance after getting an assurance from Matt that he'd get a ride from Cutler.

"Matt?" Jimmy asked, looking down at his friend, who still sat on the floor.

Matt reached a hand up. "Give me a hand, Jimmy." Cutler and Hart moved in, Jimmy taking the offered hand, while Tim grabbed Matt by the belt, not wanting to yank him up by his recently healed left arm. The blond shifted his good leg underneath him and with the assistance of his friends, got to his feet, with a grunt. Hart kept him steady while Cutler reached down to pick up his cane and hand it to his boss.

"You okay, Matt?" he asked quietly, noticing the shaky hand that reached for the cane.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. I heard the shot...saw Cody go down...the blood...Shit!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes as he recalled the sight of Cody bleeding. Cutler shoved a chair behind him and Hart helped him to sit. Matt took several deeps breaths to calm himself down. Teagan laid her head on his knee, so he leaned down and put his head on hers, running his fingers through her fur. It took several minutes, but finally he looked up at his two friends and nodded. "I'm good. Thanks."

He pushed himself up, using the cane for leverage. His two Rangers stayed close in case they were needed, but once they saw that he was steady on his feet and under control again, they each took a step back.

As he walked he reached into his pocket for his keys, then stopped when he realized he didn't have them.

"What is it, Matt?" Hart asked.

"My keys. I'd given them to Cody. He had them in his hands."

Cutler turned and walked back to the area where Cody had fallen. Checking under chairs and around slot machines, he finally spotted the keys and reached down to pick them up. He grinned as he joined his friends. "You want me to drive it back to the station?" he asked.

Matt shook his head, holding out his hand. "No. I'm okay to drive. I'll need it later."

Cutler hesitated just briefly before laying the keys in Matt's hand, but didn't let them go right away. "How's the leg? You okay to drive?"

Matt smiled. "I don't use my left leg to drive. I'll be fine."

Jim nodded, then released the keys. "All the same, I think I'll ride along with you."

The big blond nodded. "Be glad for the company. Tim, can you take the dogs back to the station?"

"Sure, Matt." He patted his leg and called the dogs. Zephyr trotted over to him, while Teagan waited until Matt told her to go. Cutler handed over Zephyr's leash and Hart attached it to his collar. Matt pulled Teagan's leash from his pocket and gave it to Hart too. Once he had both dogs hooked up, he headed out the door, after getting a promise from Matt to call once they had any news.

"C'mon, Matt," Cutler said, patted Matt on the back. "Let's go check on your little brother."

/

The doctor decided to keep Cody overnight for observation, diagnosing a mild concussion. Jesse decided to stay at the hospital, but convinced Matt to head home. He and Jimmy swung by the station to get the dogs, then headed to Matt's. Since it was late, Cutler accepted Matt's invitation to stay in his guest room, rather than walk the twenty minutes up the hill to his own cabin.

Matt undressed and slipped under the covers. He was just falling asleep when he heard the door and a minute later he felt the mattress dip as Laura joined him.

"How's Cody?" she asked.

"Bullet grazed his head," he replied, softly. "Mild concussion. He'll be released tomorrow. They planned to stay here anyway since the big reunion is going on. I'm hoping I can convince them to stay all week."

She nodded as she laid her head on his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. He pulled her tight, breathing in her scent. In less than a minute, he was asleep. On the floor at the foot of the bed, Teagan curled up with Locet, both animals content in the fact that their humans were nearby.

/

Cody spent the weekend being spoiled by Robin, who catered to his every need as he lounged on the sofa in front of the fireplace at the Ranger station. The normally shy teen was the star attraction at the Ranger Open House, most everyone attending having heard what had occurred the night before at the casino.

Eventually, he'd get tired of the attention, and his headache would flare up, so he'd quietly make his way upstairs to lie down in Matt's bunk for a couple hours before venturing out again to meet his adoring public. Robin, Matt or Jesse would check on him periodically to make sure he was doing okay, but otherwise left him alone.

They closed the doors Sunday evening after the last of the visitors left. Exhausted, Matt sat down on the sofa and lifted his aching leg onto the coffee table. Cutler handed him a glass of iced tea, receiving a smile and thankful nod in return. Matt took a long drink, then set the glass on the table next to the sofa.

Cody shuffled over and dropped down next to him, laying his head on Matt's shoulder.

"Doing okay, Code?"

"Mmmm," his brother replied, barely.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?"

Cody lifted his head. "Why?"

"The way you handled yourself that night. I know you were scared, but you didn't panic."

"I was too scared to move, so I couldn't panic," Cody admitted.

"You did good, Cody. I'm proud to call you my brother."

Cody smiled. "Me too," he said, laying his head back down on his big brother's shoulder.

"Just one question?"

"Hmmm?" Cody managed.

"Where did you learn those moves? That was a pretty slick take down?"

Cody raised his head again and smiled. "Chalk one up to the Jimmy Cutler school of self-defense."

"Really?"

Cody nodded. "While you were in the hospital, we stayed at your place. Jimmy came over one night and we got to messing around. He kept getting me in a headlock and I just couldn't figure out how to get him to let go. He showed me what to do."

"And by the end of the weekend," Cutler interjected, "he was putting me flat on my back! He made me proud!"

"And I'm so proud of both my sons," Jesse said, standing behind them. He leaned down and kissed each one on the head. "What say we head out?"

Both boys pushed tiredly to their feet, Cody standing first and helping his brother up. As they walked to Matt's truck, Cutler called out. "Night, guys. Oh, Matt, Laura called. She said she's on duty tonight, but she'll talk to you tomorrow."

Matt just nodded as he walked out the door, waving at the other Rangers as they called out goodnights as well.

"So, big brother, you and Laura...it's getting pretty serious," he ventured.

Matt smiled. "Could be, Cody, could be."

"She's good for you. I like her."

Matt wrapped his arm around Cody's shoulder. "You never know what the future holds, Cody. But I'm glad you like her."

Behind his two boys, Jesse smiled. Although he was old-fashioned enough to not approve of Matt and Laura sleeping together, he knew his son well enough to know that he had deep feelings for Laura, or it never would have gotten that far. Like Cody, he too was fond of her and could see a future for the two. Like Matt said, you never knew what the future held. But Jesse was looking forward to having grandkids to spoil.

/

**_Meanwhile, in Sparta, Mississippi _**

Chief Bill Gillespie was in his office speaking to the Chief of Detectives, Virgil Tibbs. Their quiet discussion was interrupted by some loud whooping and hollering from outside the window. The exchanged a glance and both stood up and moved outside. Virgil pulled open the door and Bill stepped onto the sidewalk, moving left toward the field beside the police station.

As they neared the corner of the building, they heard what sounded like Bubba Skinner giving a loud rebel yell, and a loud motor revving. The rest of the on-duty officers were standing at the edge of the field, cheering.

"What the devil is goin' on out here?" Gillespie asked in his distinctive drawl.

"Bubba bought a snowmobile," Officer Parker Williams replied with a grin.

"A snowmobile?" Virgil questioned. "In Mississippi?!"

"It's been modified to drive on dirt and grass," Lonnie Jamison told him, not really seeing the appeal himself.

"Why?" Gillespie asked.

"He mentioned something about Tahoe as he was starting it up," Parker said. "It looks like fun!"

Gillespie frowned and walked into the middle of the field, waving his hands at the big police Lieutenant. Bubba pulled up next to his Chief and turned off the motor, a huge grin across his face.

"Hey, Chief!"

"Bubba, what are you doin'?" he asked.

"Just tryin' out my snowmobile!" he replied, as if the answer was obvious, which of course he figured it was.

"And just why do you need a snowmobile in Mississippi? When was the last time this town saw snow?"

"Now, Chief, this here machine ain't exactly equipped for snow..."

"I can see that! Just why do you need it?"

For a full minute Bubba didn't reply, then he smiled. "'Cause it's fun!" he exclaimed, starting up the machine and taking off once again, leaving his befuddled Chief standing in the middle of the field. Gillespie heard a chuckle behind him and turned to find Virgil doubled over in laughter.

He waved his hands at the rest of his police officers. "Don't y'all have work to do?! Get back to it! Leave this maniac out here to his...snowmobile." As he walked back into the station, he pushed Virgil, who stumbled sideways, still laughing.

Gillespie continue on his way, still mumbling about crazy police officers. Behind him, Bubba sped around the field on his modified machine, attracting the attention of everyone passing by. The last thing Bill heard as he pushed back through the door was another rebel yell, this time coming from Virgil Tibbs.

"Crazy," Gillespie muttered. "The whole lot of them...crazy!"

THE END


End file.
